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Flight engineer hits mark with 1,000th sortie

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jason McCree
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing public affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  It all started when he was a student flight engineer on the C-141 Starlifter. Now, 14 years later, this Airman has reached a landmark in his flying career.

Master Sgt. Anthony Acciani, deployed with the 43rd Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron, recently flew his career 1,000th sortie during a mission engaged in the Global War on Terrorism over the skies of Iraq.

"My first sortie was the beginning of something that is pretty special to me," said Sergeant Acciani, who is a 21-year Air Force veteran. "I started out as an F-16 crew chief, and decided that being a flight engineer was a good way for me to go."

Sergeant Acciani enjoyed being a flight engineer on the C-141, a now-retired Air Force cargo aircraft, because of the various opportunities to fly missions that help others. As a flight engineer, he operates and monitors aircraft systems before, during and after flights.

"When I flew on the C-141, we were helping people," said Sergeant Acciani. "There was a lot of self satisfaction in the job. I flew a hurricane humanitarian mission; I was also on the task force to bring home the remains of Vietnam and World War II veterans."

After enjoying his time in the C-141, Sergeant Acciani transitioned to the EC-130H Compass Call. The EC-130H is equipped with a system that disrupts enemy command and control communications. While the Compass Call's mission is much different than the Starlifter's, the flight engineer is still the systems expert. Further, Sergeant Acciani can still help others - leaving him very comfortable with his transition.

The Airman understands this aircraft's mission makes a significant contribution to ongoing operations in the Global War on Terrorism.

"As a flight engineer, I help get the airplane where it needs to be to help those fighting on the ground," said Sergeant Acciani, who has accomplished more than 200 combat sorties. "We [in the Compass Call] provide the electronic shield for the people on the ground, offering them an opportunity to do their job without interference from insurgents and terrorists.

"There's a huge impact felt every time a Marine or Soldier tells us we helped them accomplish their mission," said Sergeant Acciani, who is deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. "If my being here [deployed] away from my family means someone else can spend the rest of their life with their family, there's a huge impact."

His deployed squadron commander, Lt. Col. Douglas Roth, regards Sergeant Acciani as a true flying professional, with a lot of combat time under his belt.

"Since I have been associated with the Compass Call, over the last four years, our squadron has been engaged with Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He has done a lot of deploying, and has spent a lot of time away from his family." said Colonel Roth. "He is one of our long-term people ... he has been here since the beginning, and is one of our most experienced flight engineers."

An airplane as large as the EC-130H does not get the number of sorties as some of the smaller aircraft, so achieving this landmark is unique, said Colonel Roth. "It's a huge milestone."