From the Usual USAF Source:
Here (top), Lt. Col. Joseph Paguiligan, mission commander aboard the JSTARS aircraft, monitors operations during the historic mission. At bottom, Maj. Steve Eadie lands his U-2 at an undisclosed air base in Southwest Asia after completing the final manned ISR flight over Iraq on that same day. Air Force photos by TSgt. DeNoris A. Mickle and SSgt. J.G. Buzanowski
Overhead Vigilance Helped Keep Final Iraq Convoy Safe: A lone U-2 Dragon Lady and an E-8C JSTARS were among the aircraft that flew the final intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance sorties over Iraq to guard the last US convoy as it drove into Kuwait to complete the US military pullout. "We were able to cover and support, from the air, the last boots on the ground going across the border, bringing a close to a nearly nine-year war in Iraq," said Lt. Col. Curtis Bass, commander of the 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron, a JSTARS unit, of the Dec. 18 mission. "It's a good feeling to watch those last [vehicles] roll out; it's a historic occasion," he added. "The best part about it was it was quiet," said Maj. Steve Eadie, a U-2 pilot with the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. "There were no issues as they were leaving. . . . I'm proud to have been a part of it," he noted. Also providing overwatch for the historic final convoy were Predator remotely piloted aircraft and F-16s, Air Force officials have said. (Air Forces Central report by SrA. Sara Csurilla) (380th AEW report SSgt. J.G. Buzanowski)
I'm glad our guys made it out without "incidents" along the way. It's also good to know USAF had our troops' back during the final days of the pull-out.
The post title? This...
Ella's always appropriate.
In other news... So I watched (as instructed by the NWS in ABQ) for that winter storm all day yesterday and into the wee smalls of this morning. Total snow accumulation? Zero. Zip. Nada. That's not to say we didn't get ANY snow; it really did come down at times, almost obscuring the view of 18th Street from my window on occasion, but our temps were just too warm for any of the icky white stuff to stay on the ground. Yet another case of someone watching over me.
The post title? This...
Ella's always appropriate.
―:☺:―
I came looking for a storm update. We haven't had much to speak of here. There was a bit of lake effect on the weekend which made it nice for deer hunting.
ReplyDeleteIt has been downright weird. It being the weather. Overnight temps have been doing flip flops... freeze one night, then stay in the mid fifties the next. Can't complain too much. It's kept the roses blooming.
ReplyDelete