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Shared milestone bonds Bagram fighter pilots

  • Published
  • By Capt. Michael Meridith
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  A common milestone and a shared understanding of its significance has forged a bond between a group of A-10 pilots here. 

Maj. James Barlow, Capt. Daniel Cruz, Capt. Ryan Cleveland and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Scott Craig, all recently reached a milestone 100 combat sorties aboard the A-10 Thunderbolt II during their six month deployment with the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron "Bulldogs" here. All are keenly aware that the importance of the milestone goes beyond sheer numbers. 

"On my 100th mission, I had a call from a ground commander that was outnumbered two to one," said Major Barlow, who added that on that mission (and the four before it) he carried the same hat his grandfather, a World War II B-29 pilot, had once stenciled to track his own 25 combat missions. "But the ground commander made the call on the radio, 'we have A-10s on station' and soon after the enemy fled. It's a great feeling to know that all your years of training can have a profound effect on the battlefield." 

Like Major Barlow, Captain Cruz views the milestone number as representing something much larger - for him, it means lives saved. 

"There was a situation where the enemy had friendly forces pinned down and were within 50 meters of them," said Captain Cruz, who perspectives of what air power means to ground forces are shaped by a tour as a battalion air liaison officer to ground troops in Afghanistan in 2004. After engaging and scaring off the enemy, Captain Cruz returned to base where he later heard from the same troops he had helped. "We didn't realize what we had done until we got back and they told us 'you guys saved our lives,'" said Captain Cruz. 

Like the others, Captain Cleveland has a strong sense of the importance of each mission to Coalition ground forces. For him, there is little difference between the 100th mission and any other. 

"It's why I signed up," he said. "I think about the missions and what they mean to the guys on the ground. A lot of times, they'll tell us over the radio just how much it means to them. It's what makes it all worth it." 

The three Airmen were joined in their accomplishments by Lt. Cmdr. Craig, an exchange officer with the Bulldogs who also reached the milestone 100. Although Commander Scott recently departed here - as the others will in the coming days - the sense of teamwork that led to the milestones remains. 

"This doesn't happen because of our efforts alone," said Major Barlow. "It 
happens because of the crew chiefs out there turning the wrenches and the weapons loaders loading the bullets. It happens because of the cumulative effort of everyone in our combat Air Force."