380th AEW marks 10th anniversary

Published Jan. 18, 2012
By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The modern gift for a 10th anniversary celebration is diamonds, which is exactly how Brig. Gen. Jeff Lofgren describes the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing.

The general is the wing commander for the 380th AEW, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this month.

"There are a lot of deployed locations throughout Southwest Asia, but this is the diamond in the sand," Lofgren said.

Ten years ago, Air Force leaders reactivated several air expeditionary wings in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Airmen assigned to the 380th AEW first flew KC-10 Extender tanker aircraft, but soon welcomed additional aircraft, people and mission sets.

Col. Keith Monteith, now retired, was the first wing commander after the 380th reactivated. Under Monteith, the 380th AEW added U-2 and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft.

"I was excited by the opportunity to get into the fight and lead the wing in delivering critical intelligence and fuel to our warfighters," he said. "I had flown F-15 (Eagles) for the first half of my career, so I was intimately familiar with the need for both."

About 1,200 Airmen were assigned to the wing at the time and lived in a tent city near the west end of the airfield. There were very few fixed buildings and large diesel generators ran day and night, providing "a constant background noise," Monteith said.

In March 2002, after only a few weeks of being operational, 380th Airmen flew critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in support of Operation Anaconda, one of the first large-scale battles in Afghanistan. The wing's ISR mission surge gave ground forces essential data for tactical operations, and provided joint and coalition leaders the information they needed to make strategic decisions. It was one of the highlights of his deployment, Monteith said.

Flying every day's tasking order wasn't the only challenge for 380th AEW Airmen in 2002, Monteith said. In the middle of March, a storm swept through the area. In a place that typically sees half an inch of rain a year, more than three and a half inches of rain fell in a six-hour period, flooding the area up to a foot deep in some parts of the camp. Wind gusts of 59 mph also ravaged the area.

While the deployment was challenging, Monteith called the Airmen who worked for him "true professionals who pulled together to get the job done, despite the dust, tents and separation from home."

Over the next few years, the 380th AEW began its transition to a more enduring operation. Airmen continued to provide tanker and ISR support to warfighters throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, but were still operating mostly out of tents. The wing also took on new mission sets, such as flying the E-3 Sentry, which gave the wing a command and control operation. In addition, Navy remotely piloted aircraft operators and Army missile defense units came to work alongside 380th Airmen.

It wasn't until May 2006 that most 380th Airmen moved into the buildings still in use today. The wing commander at the time, Col. Greg Kern, lauded the work to create more permanent work centers and living spaces.

"There is no question; our quality of life is much better than it was 12 months ago and that translates into added combat capability," Kern said in his farewell address to the wing.

The efforts then have paid off in dividends for Airmen deployed to the wing now, Lofgren said.

"Each day our Airmen apply the lessons of yesterday and improve on how we do it today," the general said. "We are always learning and because of that, we provide more fuel, ISR, command and control, and presence in the region than ever before.

"As we look to the future," Lofgren added, "our wing will change in complexion and size as we will become an enduring base in the region."

One of the keys to that longevity, and a primary focus for the general, is increased cooperation with the host nation and its military.

"Our host nation counterparts are wonderful partners and our relationship is extremely important as we look to the future," Lofgren said. "There's a lot we can learn from one another."

Leading a wing with a history as storied as the 380th's is an honor, however, that honor also carries with it a great amount of responsibility, Lofgren said.

"Our job is to add to our wing's rich heritage by executing our mission each day by following the motto 'make a difference, make it better,'" he said. "If each of us commits to that, we'll continue to build on the success this wing has had over the last 10 years. Also, by working together with our host nation, our joint and coalition partners, and each other, Airmen of the 380th will be here for another 10 years and beyond."