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Bagram's Airmen "Support the Fight"

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. John Wright
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  Airmen from the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing are hard at work each and every day fulfilling the wing's mission: Support the fight, defend the base and win. Each mission priority is integral to the other, but supporting the fight is the number one priority.

The wing's impact is most especially felt during the fighting season, which runs from April to November.

To accomplish the dynamic mission the wing is broken into four groups: Expeditionary Operations Group, Expeditionary Mission Support Group, Expeditionary Maintenance Group and the Expeditionary Medical Group.

The Operations Group
The 455th Expeditionary Operations Group is responsible for all expeditionary flying and aeromedical evacuation operations for the wing. The group oversees the day-to-day operations of two close air support squadrons, one airlift squadron, one search and rescue squadron, an airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance squadron, Navy and Marine Corps electronic attack flying squadrons and an electronic combat squadron. In addition, the operations group oversees a range of support functions such as airfield management and weather.

"Our people are in direct support of the fight, each and every day," said Col. Clay Hall, 455th EOG commander. "Our F-15s and F-16s are a big player in counter insurgency operations. Close Air Support is airborne 24/7 -- never takes a break."

During the fighting season alone, F-15 Strike Eagles from the 389th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 555th EFS flew a combined 27,000 hours completing more than 6,000 sorties, dropping nearly 1,200 bombs and firing more than 20,000 rounds of ammunition in support of more than 1,400 troops in contact situations.

"I've been here seven times and I've never seen any fighter squadrons achieve the level of success and proficiency as the two CAS squadrons," Hall said. "The bar has been set very high and it's primarily because they've been so interactive with the folks on the ground. There is a level of trust and understanding that is unprecedented and has resulted in over 95 percent weapons effectiveness."

During a recent Army operation, in which close air support played a critical role, ground commanders praised the responsive and precise airpower the fighters employed.

"There were numbers of occasions where if we hadn't had CAS, lives would have been lost or strong points overrun," said Army Maj. Dan Gibson, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Brigade Fire Support Officer. "Our ground commanders worked hand-in-hand with Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers to get bombs where we needed them."

The airlift portion of the group's mission is performed by C-130J Hercules from the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. Their mission is airlift and airdrop to all the forward operating bases within country.

"They are supplying the fight with personnel and cargo, enabling maneuverability throughout the AOR," Hall said. "They are an unsung hero. This fight would grind to a halt if we didn't have Air Force airlift out there supplying the fight."

The C-130s impact during the fighting season saw them fly more than 7,000 hours on 2,000 missions, accomplishing 8,800 sorties. They delivered 26,000 tons of cargo and 121,000 passengers and performed more than 250 airdrops, supplying 3,500 bundles of critical supplies to ground forces.

In addition to kinetics and airdrop/supply, the group supports intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance resources.

MC-12, EA-6B Prowlers and EC-130H Compass Call aircraft flew more than 24,517 hours on more than 4,500 sorties.

"Those guys are critical assets to many operations and are highly effective," Hall said. "They are a go/no-go criteria for many operations. They do an outstanding job supporting both conventional and special forces and in support of task force operations. Their output has had direct impact to ground forces."

Also supporting the fight are Airmen from the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. Flying aboard the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, their aircrews and pararescue airmen go out into hostile areas to rescue injured coalition forces.

From April to September, they flew nearly 900 hours on 600 combat missions, saving 66 personnel and assisting with an additional 170.

"The Pedros (their call sign) continually amaze me with their valor," Hall, a Shawnee, Okla., native said. "They have recovered many different wounded in action. They are executing at a high level."

After wounded personnel are rescued by the Pedros and treated at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital here (See 455th Expeditionary Medical Group below), they are then medevaced out to higher levels of care elsewhere. This service is performed by the men and women of the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight.

"They are an in-flight hospital that provides a critical link," Hall said. They have the task of taking stabilized patients back for further care elsewhere. They also participate in bandage missions: they transfer patients from various forward operating bases to Bagram."

During the fighting season, the EAEF flew more than 500 missions, treating nearly 10,000 patients.

When you look at the operations group from a command perspective, you can clearly see every single squadron has a direct role supporting the fight daily," Hall said. "I'm continually amazed by the caliber of Airmen we have in this group -- they're outstanding."

The Maintenance Group
While the operations group does the actual flying part of supporting the fight, it's a mission they couldn't perform without the 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group.

The group brings more than 900 Airmen to the fight who provide combat-ready aircraft and munitions to the air component commander in support of coalition forces throughout Afghanistan. The group is comprised of two squadrons responsible for on- and off-aircraft maintenance and sortie generation for more than 60 aircraft, as well as launch, recovery, and servicing support for military and commercial transient aircraft.

"It's up to the men and women of the maintenance group to make sure our aircraft are properly configured -- they're airworthy and serviceable," said Col. Geoffrey Bacon, 455th EMXG commander . "We've got the right folks who are trained to do the mission by the book so that we deliver airplanes that are safe and ready to use."

During the fighting season, the group maintained combat-ready aircraft for more than 18,000 sorties. Their planes were flown more than 52,000 hours, dropping 1,146 bombs, 46,000 rounds of ammunition and delivering 26,000 tons of cargo and 121,000 passengers.

"We have a 99.7 percent maintenance delivery rate," Bacon said. "That's amazing -- it's unheard of. You don't see that anywhere else but in combat."

Phase inspections are a critical portion of ensuring airplanes and combat ready. For every 400 hours a plane is flown, it goes in for a heavy-duty maintenance inspection. EMXG personnel strip all the panels off, put it up on jacks and tear it apart.

"During the fighting season we did 60 phase inspections," Bacon said. "Completing the phase inspections is critical to the fighters being able to complete their mission."
A typical phase inspection takes about seven days to accomplish, but Bacon's airmen are able to do it in just over four days.

"Our pilots and aircrew put 100 percent trust in the quality of maintenance that our people deliver," the Famington, N.M., native said. "They expect that when a crew chief, specialist or ammo troop says the airplane or bomb is mission ready, that they don't have to ask 'are you sure?' There is a never a doubt."

Another metric of success for the EMXG is their quality assurance inspections. QA performs 900 inspections per month and the group consistently maintains a 90 percent pass rate.

"By Air Force standards, that's an excellent," he said. "The folks that come over here are totally mission focused and it shows in the quality of their work."

The Mission Support Group
The largest group in the wing, the 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Group provides a wide range of services for the air component commander in support of coalition forces throughout Afghanistan. The group is comprised of six squadrons responsible for personnel accountability, manpower resources, services for laundry, billeting, morale and welfare, communications, airfield management, security for aircraft and personnel, local national force protection escorts, fuels, vehicle maintenance, logistics planning, passenger terminal operations and air terminal operations.

"Our Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron is involved with maintaining the runway -- that's their primary goal," said Col. Erik Rundquist, 455th EMSG commander. "From barrier systems, to resuscitative efforts on living conditions, they keep Bagram alive."

The ECES is currently involved in more than $80 million worth of airfield projects to include ramp expansions, fighter shelters and maintenance facilities. One recent addition to Bagram Airfield was the opening of a new passenger terminal dubbed "The Gateway to Afghanistan." The ECES has $73 million worth of projects on the books.

The 455th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron is a direct beneficiary of the work the ECES performs since they man the newly opened passenger terminal.

"They have a tremendous mission supporting the fight," Rundquist said. "They download hundreds of aircraft and passengers per day. They supply the fight in Afghanistan."

The squadron moves 1,300 passengers and 600 tons of cargo in a day and are the busiest aerial port in the Department of Defense. More than 80 percent of all people and supplies traveling through Afghanistan come through the unit.

"Without them processing and moving our people and supplies, we couldn't do our mission," said Army Maj. Chad Blacketer, Combined Joint Task Force 1, joint transportation officer. "The command team here thinks very highly of all their efforts. We consider them a critical part of our team."

The 455th Expeditionary Communications Squadron Provides the network capability for the base, which, according to Rundquist, is critical during the fighting season

"We are in a very networked fight as far as our ability to communicate with each other and communicate laterally and up and down the chain," the Homestead, Fla., native said. "Our communications folks are critical for maintaining navigational aids for aircraft ... they give us the ability to maintain effective command and control."

The unit administrates more than 70 servers, 1,200 land mobile radios and 368 network devices across Bagram Airfield.

The Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron has diverse mission. They monitor supplies coming in to support many base agencies and manage a vehicle fleet. Additionally, all heavy aircraft and fighters are supplied by ELRS.

"Millions of gallons of fuel come through here each month," Rundquist said. "They have a critical role in supporting the fight."

The squadron issues eight million gallons of fuel to 5,000 aircraft at Bagram Airfield on a monthly basis.

The 455th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron's role in supporting the fight includes personnel support for contingency operations, lodging, morale, welfare and recreation, fitness centers and much more.

"Their wartime role is extended even further than it typically would be stateside," Rundquist said. "They bring the additional capability of performing many personnel actions that are critical to supporting the force here."

Maintaining security for the base and its population of roughly 30,000 is the responsibility of the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron.

"They're my biggest Squadron," Rundquist said. "They are involved in Force Protection advice, antiterrorism and defending the base." I have 'fly away' security guys who go out with the C-130s to austere airstrips throughout Afghanistan and provide that critical security in places where they don't have it."

The squadron also works closely with Army forces at Bagram in protection and defense of the base. (Read more on the 455th ESFS in upcoming article, 'Bagram's Airmen defend the base.')

According to Rundquist, the EMSG plays a large role in supporting the fight because the counterinsurgency fight is inherently a ground fight and his units are directly linked with many Army counterparts.

"Air support plays an extremely important role, but with regards to the ground fight, my guys operate on the ground," Rundquist said. "There is a lot of coordination between my security forces and the Army. The aerial port guys are linked with Army reception centers, passenger coordination folks; fuels folks are linked to the Army fuels systems. My engineers work closely with the Army. We are heavily tied to the joint fight."

The Medical Group
The 455th Expeditionary Medical Group is the Air Force component for Task Force Medical East, which provides combat medical and combat medical support services to U.S. and coalition forces throughout Afghanistan. Along with the U.S. Army, the 455th EMDG staffs the Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield.

"Our hospital is the largest role three hospital in Afghanistan," said Col. Guillermo Tellez, 455th EMDG commander. "Meaning, it has full combat trauma surgical capabilities. Our mission is to support coalition ground commanders and forces by being available to receive patients from all throughout the AOR."

Additionally, the medical group provides life, limb and eyesight-saving healthcare to local nationals.

In a typical month, Air Force, Army and Navy healthcare providers at the hospital will spend 940 hours in more than 250 surgeries. They will admit 200 patients, see nearly 4,000 outpatients, fill 14,500 prescriptions and process 34,000 lab tests.

The medical group boasts a 98 percent survival rate for all patients who enter the hospital alive!

I cannot be more proud of the staff here at the hospital, Tellez, a Little Rock, Ark., native said. The skill of our medical providers is astounding. They are truly among the best. To be able to say you will almost certainly live if you make it here alive is amazing.

"My takeaway from here is that it is our absolute honor and privilege to care for our U.S. servicemen and women," Tellez said. "A message I would extend to parents and family back home is when their sons and daughters are injured we will do our very best to care for them. They will receive the best compassionate care possible and we will get them back quickly and as safely as possible."

With the magnitude of responsive and precise airpower each of the groups with the 455th AEW brings in supporting the fight, the commander, Brig. Gen. Darryl Roberson, couldn't be more proud.

"It is truly an honor and privilege to lead this wing," Roberson said. "These Airmen are committed to bringing airpower to ground commanders. Each Airman is a force multiplier that represents the best our nation has to offer. Airpower is the power of Airmen!"