An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

380AEW Article

Patriots stand watch over 380 AEW

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Eric Peterson
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
Undisclosed location --  In addition to the many Air Force missions supported at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, the United States Army also provides an important air defense mission for the base.

Soldiers assigned to Charlie Battery, 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment from Fort Bragg, N.C., provide 24-7 coverage against airborne threats that may be targeted against the 380 AEW.

The soldiers maintain and operate the Patriot Missile Air Defense System. According to a NATO fact sheet, the system was first fielded by the United States Army in 1985 and battle tested in 1991 during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

The missile system consists of a control station, radar system, power generation unit, communications platform and command post. Missile launching stations are mounted on mobile trailers and are located down range of the control station.

Army Capt. Will Andrews, air defense artillery officer, has commanded the unit for over one year and has watched his soldiers sharpen their skills during their deployment to the 380 AEW.

"When my first sergeant and I took over the battery, we had a very junior crew," said Andrews. "Their proficiency has increased because of an extremely intense training cycle that we went through for seven months. It's just very rewarding because our soldiers are very good at what they do now, they have great pride in what they do and it's fun to see your soldiers excel."

Army 1st Lt. Joseph Ammon serves as the unit tactical control officer, monitoring scopes to detect air-breathing threats and tactical ballistic missiles. He said he enjoys the challenges and the tactical knowledge requirements of his job.

"This is quite a different mission than most of the rest of the Army experiences," said Ammon. "We get to come out here and protect an air base that's strategically important and a critical asset within the AOR, so I'm very honored that I have the ability to come out here and help defend it."

Andrews said he is proud of the service his unit provides to the wing. Whether it's an exercise scenario or real-world threat, the soldiers of Charley Battery prepare to operate the Patriots, should they be needed to defend the base.

"Everybody else has to go to a bunker," said Andrews. "Not my soldiers. My soldiers have to get back here. And that drives home the reality of what we have to do here. We have to be ready at all times and what we do protects the whole base."

The Army deployment has also offered the soldiers a chance to gain a greater understanding of the Air Force and its missions. Andrews said members of the two services work together on base to conduct combined promotion and retreat ceremonies, and his unit's first sergeant regularly attends the Air Force first sergeant meetings.

"We live here, so the Air Force provides all of our life support," said Andrews. "They work on our generators that power the air conditioning units so we interact with them daily, and it's been very positive."