379 AEW assets enable Navy ops off the coast of Pakistan

Published Sept. 27, 2008
By Capt. Kristen Pate
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Southwest Asia -- As darkness closes in around an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Gulf of Oman, pilots taxi their F-18s a short distance to the catapult to be launched down a mere 300 foot runway at 160 knots, knowing Airmen from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing will be there waiting in the skies over Afghanistan to provide mission-essential support.

The USS Ronald Reagan recently replaced the USS Abraham Lincoln and began flying sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Aug. 28 as part of a six month deployment. Eight squadrons comprise the embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14, which flies approximately two to three dozen missions daily in support of operations in theater.
While for the most part the USS Ronald Reagan is a self-sustaining, floating city, it relies on continuous support in order to carry out its mission. CVW 14 assets regularly interface with Air Force assets, but none are quite as important as the KC-135 Stratotanker from the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron here.

"Our operations in Afghanistan would not be possible without the air refueling capability provided by the 379 AEW and the other strategic tankers in theater," said Navy Capt. Tom "Walli" Lalor, CVW 14 commander. "Whenever we need to support ground forces in a defensive situation, the KC-135s have always been right there in the thick of it, quickly providing us the fuel necessary to maintain fighter cover over the troops in contact."

CVW 14 aircraft are a mix of F/A-18C Hornets, F/A-18Es, F/A-18F Super Hornets, EA-6B Prowlers and E-2C Hawkeyes. The F-18s are responsible for flying close air support sorties, while the Prowlers are responsible for electronic warfare and the Hawkeyes provide airborne command and control.

"The Hornet, Super Hornets and Prowlers will tank upwards of three separate times off of 379 AEW tankers," said Cmdr. James "Marvin" Haigler, CVW 14 operations officer. "This support is absolutely critical to what we do. We provide close air support, non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and armed overwatch for convoys. Our pilots are saving lives out there and in order to keep them in theater long enough to accomplish their mission, we have to have the capability to refuel."

The more than 50-year-old KC-135, along with the KC-10 Extender, changed the way wars were fought, allowing U.S. forces to bring the fight to enemy territory for extended periods of time. Having military assets forward deployed provides a key capability for commanders by minimizing response time to any contingency. While the Air Force is the primary provider for air refueling capabilities, it is not the only customer.

"We provide fuel to pretty much anyone who needs it," said Master Sergeant Jeff Bishop, 340 EARS chief boom operator. "It doesn't matter if they're Air Force or Navy, U.S. or NATO, we can provide numerous customers with the same key capability. It seems like such a basic thing, but when it comes down to it, you can't accomplish anything if you don't have the gas it takes to get it done."

Airmen and Sailors alike realize the strategic importance of cooperation among the two services, especially with regards to air refueling capabilities provided for critical OEF missions.

"Basically our only limiting factor is that of the human body," said Commander Haigler. "Our pilots can only stay in the air for so long but, with the capability provided by aerial refueling we could essential fly continuously for an undetermined amount of time."

During the Air Expeditionary Force 3/4 rotation, from May to August, the 340 EARS was responsible for refueling 12,000 receivers, offloading more than 130 million pounds of fuel.

"We operate around-the-clock here for the most part," Sergeant Bishop said. "It's a very rewarding mission and we're all proud to do what we do. Knowing we have such an important impact for so many different people makes all the long hours worthwhile. We have a great appreciation for what the other services do and we work really well with our Navy counterparts."

The USS Ronald Reagan is the largest and newest Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, operating the most advanced technology of its kind. By itself, the carrier brings a tremendous amount of power to the fight, which is multiplied by working hand-in-hand with other military forces.

"Back in the mid 80's when I first went through flight school, the Navy and Air Force hardly ever worked together, and our tactics, techniques, even our vocabularies were completely different," Captain Lalor said. "So much has changed in two decades. Young Navy pilots today train alongside Air Force pilots. We learn the same tactics that our Air Force counterparts employ. We speak the same language and each has a professional admiration for the strengths and capabilities the other brings to the table."