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Air support unites Airmen, Soldiers

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tammie Moore
  • U.S. AFCENT News Team
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan --  When a Soldier goes into the field, danger is ever present. And when a Soldier comes under fire from the enemy, there's nothing they're more grateful for than the roar of a Coalition aircraft screaming overhead putting lead down on the bad guys.

Soldiers deployed here from the Pennsylvania National Guard Bravo Company 3rd/103 Mechanized Infantry fought their way out of more than 55 firefights in 4.5 months. In those life and death situations, pilots of A-10 II Thunderbolts and F-15E Strike Eagles were high overhead to respond to their calls for close-air support.

Members from the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group arranged for the Soldiers, now assigned to the Kapisa and Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team, to meet Airmen responsible for close-air support missions and take a tour of the Bagram flightline to see the aircraft up close.

"We don't get to do that as much as we would like to," said Capt. Dylan Thorpe, 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron A-10 pilot and former F-15 weapon system operator. "We just talk to them on the radio. It is awesome that they came by."

As Army Specialist Kevin King, a native of Bellefont, Pa., climbed the ladder to peer into an A-10 cockpit, he couldn't help but smile.

"It ain't often you get to be this close," he said. "I have never been this close to a jet."

Even though the pilots and weapon system operators showcasing their aircraft weren't the Airmen who fended off the Soldier's enemies, the two groups spent a great deal of time comparing their battlefield perspectives.

"When we were hunkering down getting hit from every side, we thought for sure we were dead," said Army Specialist Don McGill, a native of Kingston, Pa. "But, as soon as you guys come over head [the enemy] is gone. Without air support, we couldn't have done a lot of things we did."

For the Air Force officers, this opportunity provided a chance to put faces with voices they typically only hear on a radio.

"This was a humbling experience," said Air Force Capt. Scott Crowell, 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron F-15 pilot. "Talking with these guys makes me understand how valuable our training is and helps me appreciate the danger they face when they are outside the wire on a daily basis. It makes me proud to see they are interested in talking to us."

Captain Crowell, deployed from Mountain Home, Idaho, was not the only one who appreciated the efforts of their sister servicemembers.

"When we hear the jets take off, the sound never gets old," Specialist King said. "When you're in a bad situation and you hear the A-10 whistle by, it is just a relief ... it takes a lot of pressure off your chest."

To Captain Thorpe, being able to stop the enemy so the Soldiers can return home is what his job is all about.

"When I go out there, it really boils down to getting a guy home to his family," said Captain Thorpe, deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. "They come first - we really live that. We are here to serve the ground guys, that is what we do everyday."

These Airmen may not have been the same who provided protection for the Soldiers from above, but that didn't stop the Soldiers from sharing their appreciation.

"It is nice to get to meet the people who are out there to support us, especially since we were in all of our firefights," Specialist King said. "I appreciate being able to thank them for basically being out there to save our lives. Thanks for being there and helping us out whenever we need help and being there when ever we call."

Specialist King was not the only one with words of thanks to share.

"Thank you. Thank you for being there. Thank you for your support," Specialist McGill said to the pilots. "There were numerous times we were under fire, and it brings a whole new outlook on life. I will go home, and I will appreciate life a lot more."