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Canadian Forces officer, Sudbury native, serves as mission crew commander with Southwest Asia unit

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  When an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft departs on a combat sortie, they are most often carrying a flight crew of four along with a mission crew of 13 to 19 specialists who range from air weapons officers to surveillance technicians.

To keep that crew organized, supported and busy, it takes a person like Maj. Scott Marshall, a Canadian Forces officer who serves as an E-3 Mission Crew Commander. He is deployed with the 965th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia along with four other Canadian Forces members.

In describing his deployment, Major Marshall said it offers a great opportunity for Airmen in his field to operate in an area that directly supports troops on the ground.

"It's a great opportunity for Canadian Forces because we don't have AWACS at home specifically," said Major Marshall, who is deployed from the 965th AACS at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. "So back home we're in North American Aerospace Defense Command sectors, we're at mobile radar units, we're in air traffic control units. In that capacity we don't have a chance to deploy and support forces like this. For us, it's a great chance to have a direct impact on the coalition forces in theater. Most of us have spent time in NORAD. We have a good solid background in the NORAD environment and it's a totally different thing once you get to AWACS. It's great to be there. It's great to be able to provide that support for everybody."

At Tinker AFB, the Sudbury, Ontario, native said there are nearly 50 other Canadian Forces members serving as part of the NORAD agreement. For the past several years, Canadian airmen like have been able to deploy with units from Tinker's 552nd Air Control Wing.

"At Tinker we are co-manners," said the 13-year Canadian Forces veteran. "We are not exchange officers or exchange personnel. It's a co-manning situation based on the NORAD agreement. So when we come down to Tinker, we still belong to the Canadian detachment -- we have our own commanding officer -- but we are all put into different squadrons and units across the wing. At the 965th, there currently are five of us and that is about the average number at each of them."

Getting into the aerospace control trade wasn't the major's plan when he was getting out of high school, but he did know that he wanted to serve somewhere.

"I wanted to join the police force or the federal police force -- the Royal Canadian Mounted Police - or the military," Major Marshall said. "However, the RCMP didn't make an offer until I was already in basic training. I applied to all of them, but I eventually joined the Canadian Forces as a pilot. However, I'm 6-feet, 6 inches tall and I don't fit into planes very well so that didn't last very long. I joined the aerospace control trade in 1998 and it's been a great career choice. You know you get a little bit disappointed that you didn't get your first pick for your career, but there has been nothing but good things that have come out of being in this trade and with these folks."

Working with the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. military is nothing new to Major Marshall either and he said he is working with some great people on this deployment. He also said his fellow Canadian Forces members deployed with him are among the best.

"I have got a great team," Major Marshall said. "I'm pretty lucky at the 965th -- it's a good team. With the Canadian Forces members, we have a solid background and I look to my guys for leadership on the aircraft as well on the ground. The crew we fly with here is the best crew we've got here. They're the best trained and handpicked so we got who we wanted."

On working with U.S. Airmen, he said it will continue to be "like one force."

"It doesn't matter what uniform we are wearing -- it's interchangeable," Major Marshall said. "We have a really great relationship with the American forces -- specifically the USAF. It's just very easy to work together. It's what we do. That's all we know. So no matter where we are, it's very easy to get the job done as one team."

The 965th EAACS is an attached unit of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The 380th AEW is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia.