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380AEW Article

Spring in Southwest Asia

  • Published
  • By Capt. Cathleen Snow
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  With temperatures rising upwards to 100 degrees the first day of spring, this row of tents, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, comes with air conditioning and a sunset view at the low price of a six-month deployment.

These tents are the new home away from home for civil engineering Airmen who will completing a building project for the 380th Expeditionary Wing here. 

The mercury will begin to rise as Spring wears on and summer draws near. As work-rest cycles continue to shorten, the days will get longer.

Approximately 1900 service members are deployed here to support the 380th AEW's multi-faceted mission: to conduct combat operations directed by the President to provide high-altitude all-weather intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, airborne command and control and air refueling for Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa.

The wing is the Air Force's only joint high-altitude ISR, airborne command and control and refueling unit utilizing the following weapons systems throughout the U.S. Central Command's 27-country Southwest Asia area of responsibility.