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380AEW Article

AWACS Airmen return home from combat mission

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Maintenance Airmen from the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's Sentry aircraft maintenance unit recovered an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control system aircraft after it completed a combat mission from a non-disclosed base here May 19, 2010.

E-3 Sentry maintenance Airmen support aircraft deployed with the 963rd Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron. They support the success of AWACS aircraft to fly combat missions in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility providing an airborne command and control capability.

According to its Air Force fact sheet, the E-3 Sentry is an aircraft with an integrated command and control battle management, or C2BM, surveillance, target detection, and tracking platform. The aircraft provides an "accurate, real-time picture" of the battlespace to the Joint Air Operations Center.

AWACS aircraft provide situational awareness of friendly, neutral and hostile activity, command and control of an area of responsibility, battle management of theater forces, all-altitude and all-weather surveillance of the battle space, and early warning of enemy actions during joint, allied and coalition operations, the fact sheet states.

The 380th EAMXS and the 963rd EAACS are sub-units of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The wing is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady, E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, air battle management, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.