F-16's Provide Essential Air Support In Afghanistan
by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Rito Smith June 16, 2019
During a raid in February 2019 on a terrorist stronghold in a remote Afghan
village, U.S. ground forces came under enemy fire. They called for
close air support, and shortly thereafter, an F-16 Fighting Falcon
dropped munitions to eliminate the threat.
February 27, 2019 - A pilot from the
U.S. Air Force 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
prepares his F-16 Fighting Falcon for takeoff involving a
mission. The 510th EFS "Buzzards" deployed from Aviano Air Base, Italy, deliver precision fire to protect U.S. and coalition forces in support of Operations Freedom's Sentinel and the NATO Resolute Support mission. Both maintainers and pilots are essential to supporting the mission at Bagram. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rito Smith)
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Lt. Col. Benjamin
Freeborn, 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander, distinctly
remembers that mission. “What really struck me about that
particular mission was this village was small, and our troops took
more risk than they could have in order to protect the civilian
population,” Freeborn said. “For us it’s more important to protect
the population and support the government of Afghanistan than it is
to apply massive fire to the ground.” The 510th EFS at Bagram
Airfield delivers precision fire to protect U.S. and coalition
forces in support of Operations Freedom’s Sentinel and the NATO
Resolute Support mission. While many fighter squadrons have
multi-role missions and train across the spectrum of air threats,
surface threats and close air support strategic strikes, this team
focuses mainly on the close air support aspect. Freeborn said the
airpower they deliver helps ensure the safety of the ground forces
they support. “Oftentimes we spend a couple of hours just flying
over watch,” Freeborn said. “Then when a firefight kicks off, we
have almost no warning and have to get there quickly to provide that
coverage for the ground troops.” Freeborn said building and
maintaining a positive relationship with the F-16 maintainers is
paramount in ensuring operations run smoothly. “The trust we
need to have in them is amplified because we fly single-engine,
single-seat aircraft where there’s not a large margin for error,”
Freeborn said. “Our aircraft maintenance unit is among one of the
best I’ve had the chance to work with.” With operations going
around the clock, keeping these aircraft mission ready in a combat
zone is a daunting task for the 510th Aircraft Maintenance Unit; but
they are up to the challenge. “Everyone here is focused on the
mission,” said Chief Master Sgt. Seth Lininger, 510th AMU
superintendent. “We just make sure we can get aircraft in the air
24/7.” Lininger said when an F-16 returns with empty
rails—meaning they dropped munitions—maintenance Airmen do an
end-of-fire inspection, load new munitions and ensure all the
aircraft systems are functional before preparing for another flight.
“We have a nonstop flow of aircraft into the air,” Lininger
said. “We want to make sure our ground troops are always covered.”
The close relationship between the flying squadron and
maintenance unit started well before this deployment; the Airmen are
also stationed together at Aviano Air Base, Italy, and have been
preparing for their mission here together for over a year.
Lininger and Freeborn said the 510th “Buzzards” take great pride in
their work and come together as a seamless team to ensure mission
accomplishment. As an F-16 pilot, Freeborn said his job is
satisfying because he sees the immediate impacts of his role, which
is all about taking care of the Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and
Marines on the ground. “There’s nothing as satisfying as
hearing, ‘good effects’ from the ground party,” Freeborn said. “You
get that immediate feedback when you drop a bomb in close proximity
to friendlies, and it hits the target and protects civilians and
friendly troops. That’s the most rewarding feeling.” The 510th
EFS and 510th AMU are part of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, the
Air Force’s premier counterterrorism wing in Afghanistan.
Headquartered at Bagram, the wing has geographically separated units
at Kandahar and Jalalabad airfields in Afghanistan and provides
decisive airpower throughout the region.
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