1/19/2010 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Approximately 225 Airmen from the 355th Fighter Wing will return to Davis-Monthan AFB Jan. 20 from a six-month deployment to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. They are tentatively scheduled to arrive on base at 3 p.m.
The Airmen are from the 355th Operations Group, 355th Maintenance Group, and 355th Mission Support Group and were deployed in support of the 354th Fighter Squadron, which operated 12 A-10s out of Kandahar . This was the first time during Operation Enduring Freedom that A-10s were based out of Kandahar Airfield.
More information about their deployment can be found here: "10K flight hours amid landmark OEF tour for 354th EFS" http://www.dm.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123184142
Media are requested to RSVP by 10 a.m. on Jan. 20 if they are interested in attending this welcome home ceremony. Upon RSVP, media will receive the most up-to-date arrival information, as well as the time to meet public affairs personnel at the Craycroft Gate for escort onto the base. Since arrival times may change media agencies must provide a contact phone number with RSVP. Due to operational security, please hold for release until Jan. 20
Additionally, the pilots and 12 A-10s will return to Davis-Monthan on Saturday, Jan. 23 at a time to-be-determined. Media interested in attending this welcome home ceremony are requested to RSVP by 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22. Upon RSVP, media will receive the most up-to-date arrival information, as well as the time to meet public affairs personnel at the Craycroft Gate for escort onto the base. Since arrival times may change media agencies must provide a contact phone number with RSVP. Due to operational security, please hold for release until Jan. 23
For operational security reasons, this information is provided to invite media to attend, not to be released to the public prior to the return of personnel. For more information, contact 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office at 520-228-3407.
Source
Some additional info:
KGUN9 reported:
Airman Return Home
Posted: Jan 21, 2010 04:10 PM
Updated: Jan 21, 2010 04:10 PM
More than 200 airmen with Davis-Monthan's 355th Fighter Wing are home from Afghanistan after a six month deployment.
Their plane touched down in Tucson shortly after 2:00am, after being delayed 7 times due to weather and maintenance on the aircraft.
The airmen were deployed in support of the 354th Fighter Squadron which operated 12 A-10's out of Kandahar. The planes and their pilots are scheduled to arrive on Saturday.
Source
KOLD News 13 reported:
Airmen return from Afghanistan
Posted: Jan 21, 2010 7:45 AM
Updated: Jan 21, 2010 7:45 AM
By J.D. Wallace
TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) – About 225 airmen in the 354th Fighter Squadron were expected to arrive at Davis Monthan from Kandahar, Afghanistan early Thursday morning.
The mother, father, sister, and girlfriend of airman Julio Morato waited for him and the rest of the squadron to arrive Wednesday night. The squadron is part of the 355th Fighter Wing that has been in Afghanistan for about six months. The Air Force said that the squadron was the first to be based in Kandahar to be near the fighting in the south. That allowed the A-10's that they support to cover nearby ground troops. The Moratos said that the past six months had been anxious ones and were glad he's finally returning.
"We're very excited to see him. It's a mix of emotions, feel like crying, laughing, just can't wait to see him," his father Ramon Morato said.
"I'm proud that he did this, and I think more people should join, that this is for our country and this means a lot to me and our people I think I'm going to cry just thinking about him coming home I'm just super, super, super proud," his sister Betzahira Morato said.
Mechanical problems with their chartered jet caused some delays. The latest estimate for the squadron's arrival was two o'clock Thursday morning.
Source
As reported on the Dutch Scramble Messageboard (I'm a member), see topic Lajes (Azores) (LPLA/TER) - 2010 MIL) at least eleven of the twelfe re-deployed 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron A-10Cs were logged at Lajes Field, Azores, January 19, 2010, during stopover on their way back home to CONUS (Continental United States): 78-0684 (wrong interpreted as 78-0648), 79-0202, 80-0142, 80-0150, 80-0155, 80-0179, 80-0246, 80-0280, 81-0948, 81-0950, 82-0663. Not mentioned was 78-0709 (the twelfth deployed aircraft).
Also according to the Scramble Messageboard, only six 354th EFS A-10Cs made it to Martin State Airport today (Thursday) as Trend 11-16. The second cell, Trend 21-26, has been filed for tomorrow, Friday.
BTW: Warthog News contributors James O'Rear and Ned Harris, both from United States, are already prepared to catch the 354th EFS Hogs on their return to D-M.
Good hunting, my friends!
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