Far from the water, close to the mission Published Feb. 25, 2008 By Senior Airman Tong Duong 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Like the wind that sweeps across the desert, constantly shifting the sand mounds, the mission of one associate unit has adjusted over the years to better adapt to ever changing needs of the military. Trading their "Cracker Jack" and utility blue uniforms for desert camouflage and boonie hats, the Navy VP-26 Patrol Squadron's mission here is to fly the Navy's P-3C Orion in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. "Our primary mission is anti-submarine warfare, but we contribute to the security of the entire region by providing reconnaissance missions, which in turn improves the wing's lines of supply and communication," said Navy Lt. Jonathan Jacesko, a Navy flight officer. Patrol Squadron 26, a maritime patrol squadron with a worldwide theater of operations is based out of Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine. These sailors deploy for six months at a time and currently have more than 200 sailors assigned in support of the P-3C Orion. According to U.S. Navy fact sheets, the P-3C is a land-based, long range anti-submarine warfare patrol aircraft. It has advanced submarine detection sensors such as directional frequency and ranging sonobuoys and magnetic anomaly detection equipment. The P-3C's mission evolved in the late ninties and early 21st century to include surveillance of the battle space, either at sea or over land. Its long range and long loiter time have been very useful during Operation Iraqi Freedom as it can view the battle space and instantaneously provide that information to ground troops. Far from the water but close to the mission, members of Patrol Squadron 26 enjoy the features of an air base. "We really appreciate being on an Air Force base, because of the facilities and it's a great feeling to come back to solid ground after a mission," said Lt. Jacesko. With our flight schedule so varied, having services like a 24-hour galley (dining facility) is nice and we look forward to the opening of the Blatchford-Preston Complex pool." Exposure and the ability to interact with sister services and coalition forces is another advantage the sailors pointed out. "This is a very big and diverse base, everything seems to run so smoothly," said Tanika Milligan, Petty Officer 3rd Class, VP-26 personnel specialist on her second deployment. "This base fosters a sense of camaraderie and really embodies the phrase, 'One team, one fight.' One of the reasons that I joined the Navy was to experience different things."