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380AEW Article

E-3 unit reaches 10,000 hour milestone

  • Published
  • By Staff Reports
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The 552nd Air Control Wing, based at Tinker Air Force Base with units deployed here, has reached a 10,000 combat flying-hour milestone during a mission over Southwest Asia March 28. The squadrons that make up the 552nd ACW are the 960th, 963rd (currently deployed here), 964th and 965th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadrons.

Since their Jan. 2 arrival, the 936rd EAACS' more than 140 Airman have brought the totals of missions and assets supported by the 552 ACW units to more than 19,000 aircraft, 700 troops-in-contact events and enabled the off-load of more than 126 million pounds of fuel to support combat assets in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

"This is a significant milestone and shows the commitment and dedication of the 552nd ACW and the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Operations, Maintenance and Communications teams to OEF and OIF," said Lt. Col. Robert Haines, 963rd EAACS commander. "Every hour is important and represents air power support to our coalition forces in the air and on the ground."

The mission of the 963rd EAACS is to provide command and control and battle management to the Combined Forces Air Component Commander and International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan. The airborne radar on the E-3 Sentry aircraft provides surveillance capability, line-of-site communications to forces on the ground, and is used to de-conflict different types of airspace to ensure safe coordination between aircraft and ground combat operations.