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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Thu Aug 26 2010 - 07:01:43 EDT
Patrick Air Force Base airmen off to serve US mission in Africa
Group may respond to piracy or humanitarian needs
BY R. NORMAN MOODY . FLORIDA TODAY . August 26, 2010
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE - One after the other, two C-130 aircraft took off
and dipped their wings in a salute Wednesday as dozens of airmen waved from
the base tarmac.
The 20 airmen onboard those aircraft were from the Air Force Reserve's 920th
Rescue Wing, based at Patrick, and were headed to the Horn of Africa for a
two-month deployment.
The pilots and aircrew will be part of joint forces stationed in Djibouti to
respond to search and rescue efforts in any of the countries in the region.
The group could be called to respond to anti-piracy operations off the coast
of Somalia or to help with humanitarian efforts wherever needed.
"We will be sitting 24/7 alert," said Lt. Col. Antonio Cunha, commander of
operations support flight. "It's pretty obvious when you say you're going to
Africa, you're going to be involved in some anti-piracy."
The airmen who left Wednesday from Patrick are among 60 airmen who will join
other U.S. forces to conduct search and rescue and humanitarian missions.
Some left in recent days and the rest of the group will leave Friday.
It will take the airmen three to four days to reach Djibouti.
Lt. Col. Robert "Tookie" Key, on his fourth trip to Africa, said the airmen
never know what type of search-and-rescue assistance they may be called on
to provide. There are several nations that threaten stability in the region.
Key was deployed in Africa last year at the time of the Mersk Alabama cargo
ship hijacking by Somali pirates. He flew over the scene during the standoff
with the USS Bainbridge and the pirates holding ship captain Richard
Phillips hostage in a lifeboat. U.S. forces later rescued Phillips.
"I was the first aircraft on scene," Key said. "We got there just about the
same time the USS Bainbridge got there."
The airmen deployed in support of Africa Command and will be part of the
81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron.
Africa Command was established in 2007 to help African partner nations
develop security capabilities, to counter terrorism, drug and arms
trafficking and to prevent crises. The area is already volatile with Sudan's
Darfur region and Somalia in addition to other conflicts on the African
continent.
"We know a mission can pop up so we have to be ready," said Master Sgt.
Shane Smith, a loadmaster. "We're prepared for whatever anybody throws at
us."
Family members of the deployed airmen say its never easy seeing them leave
for long periods, but some have gotten used to it.
Dinah Kierstead's husband, Maj. Christopher Kierstead, and son, Lt. Patrick
Woodruff, are among those deploying. Since her father was a military pilot,
she was used to him being away on duty. Still, it's not easy seeing her
husband and son leave on deployment.
"There is always that element of the unknown," she said. "You just have
faith that they are going to be safe and come back OK."
Key said he believes the families understand the need for the airmen to be
away for extended periodsof time. He said his wife, Deborah, and the rest of
his family are accustomed to his travels.
"I've been on the road quite a bit;, Deb is used to it," he said. "It's
tough because I'm missing so much of (daughter) Lisa's growing up."
The deployment is one of many for the 920th Rescue Wing, the most deployed
Air Force Reserve Command unit in the nation. About 400 of its 1,500
personnel are deployed annually overseas.
Some on this deployment have already have been to Africa several times.
"There is not a nobler mission than search and rescue," said Cunha, the
operations support flight commander. "It's almost surreal. When you are
rescuing somebody it's because they are having a bad day."
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