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380AEW Article

'Kingpin' takes control of a new mission

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Victoria B. Porto
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron changed missions Dec. 30 as it supported the end of Operation New Dawn and began supporting the air defense of the Arabian Gulf.

The timing of the transition allowed for a full-circle moment for the 727th Airmen, who are deployed from the 606th ACS in Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

"It was an honor for our squadron to close out Operation New Dawn because the 606th ACS was the first air control squadron on station in Iraq," said Lt. Col Justin Hickman, commander of the 727th EACS.

The 727th EACS, or "Kingpin," provides command and control capabilities through real-time radar surveillance that allows the Airmen to coordinate the movement of aircraft in their battlespace.

Turning their focus to the Arabian Gulf, the squadron will continue to provide surveillance and tactical command and control to deconflict the flight paths of various air assets in the region and protect troops on the ground, just as they did while supporting the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

"We're here to execute the air tasking order and to make sure our assets and our host nation partners are safe," said Capt. Lynn Senior, an air surveillance officer originally from Rutledge, Pa.

Staff Sgt. Sarah Hanby, a 727th EACS weapons director, emphasized the importance of their new mission.

"We know it's important to have our eyes out there to support this entire region," the Canandaigua, N.Y., native said. "We keep people safe; we give them a sense of security by watching from overhead."

But Kingpin can't do the mission alone. They work closely with the E-3 Sentry Airmen stationed at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing as well as the Soldiers from the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade who monitor the skies and man the Patriot batteries in defense of the region.

"They are outstanding teammates and they've set us up for success," Hickman said of the daily efforts between the units to efficiently control the air space.

And as their rotation comes to an end, the Airmen of the 606th will be passing the reins to the 123rd ACS from the Ohio Air National Guard; the same "sister squadron" based with them in Iraq in 2003.

"I am very proud of my Airmen and I want to thank all the Airmen of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing that have helped us transition from Iraq to our new mission," Hickman said.