Gunfighters return home after deployment

Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Hugs and kisses greeted members from the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base after their six-month deployment.

Hundreds of airmen from Mountain Home Air Force Base were greeted with cheers and tears Thursday after they returned home following a six-month deployment to Afghanistan.

Those that returned that evening included pilots, weapons systems officers and aircraft maintenance specialists from the 389th Fighter Squadron and 366th Maintenance Group.

The airman were in the region as part of a regularly scheduled deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Over the past half year, the aircrews flew hundreds of combat missions over the region while conducting additional training with coalition aircrews from other nations.

To prepare for the rigors of combat duty, airmen at the base spent months preparing themselves and their aircraft, according to Col. Michael Lawrence, 366th Maintenance Group commander.

"By the time they stepped on the aircraft ready to leave, they were about as fine tuned as they could be," Lawrence said.

Training prior to the deployment focused heavily on the types of missions these crews would likely face during their time in Afghanistan, said Col. Michael S. Ballek, 366th Operations Group commander.

"With the reduced budgets and reduced flying hours, we just can't stay focused on every single mission out there," the colonel said.

A bulk of their training focused on close air support -- dropping precision-guided munitions on enemy targets firing on friendly forces. It was a mission never originally intended for F-15 aircrews, Ballek said.

Today, each of the wing's F-15E Strike Eagles essentially carry more firepower than a squadron of World War II bombers and with far greater accuracy.

"Whatever the scenario is, we can pick and choose the right weapon with the right fuse and make sure we're achieving the effects that we need," the colonel added.

Katie McKinsey was among the hundreds of spouses who waited in an aircraft hangar at the base for the passenger aircraft to arrive. It marked the completion of the first deployment for her husband, Capt. Ryan McKinsey.

"I knew it was coming, so it wasn't shocking," she said when she originally learned that her husband was due to deploy.

McKinsey admitted it was tough being a single parent for the past six months. However, she and their children went back to her parent's home in Washington for a majority of the deployment, which helped make the time go by easier, she said.

Meanwhile, Master Sgt. Gene Paciotti waited for his wife, Tech. Sgt. April Paciotti. Holding their daughter, Sophia, the sergeant admitted this was the first time that he'd been "on this side" of a deployment since he usually was the one who was deployed, he said.

Nearby, Teri Rhodes waited for her son, Airman 1st Class Brandon McCullough.

"He'd never been away from home, so joining the Air Force was huge. He's done an amazing job," said Rhodes, whose son serves as an aircraft egress specialist.

With her son finally coming home, she said he's preparing for his next challenge -- a wedding planned for May 10.

"I'm super excited, but I've had butterflies in my stomach since this morning. I can't wait to hold and hug him," said McCullough's fiance, Sarah Finney. He proposed to her on March 2 -- about five weeks before he left Mountain Home.

"I just started bawling. I was just in tears," Finney said when she learned that her fiance was preparing to deploy. "I was scared being alone while he was in a place where he could be in danger."

However, advances in online technology, including streaming video, allowed the two to chat on a regular basis. That regular face-to-face communication eventually helped ease her initial fears.

With American flags and banners waving in the stiff evening air, family and friends stepped out of the hangar and cheered as airmen stepped out the passenger jet.

Senior Airman Kolton VanWinkle was among the first to be reunited with his family.

With his wife, Sarah, and their children, Addison and Lincoln, at his side, it was the first time he had deployed since enlisting in the Air Force more than three years ago.

While the deployment was a welcome change of pace versus the normal training routine at the base here, VanWinkle admitted it was far more serious and intense. Looking back, the airman admitted that he and others made a significant difference to ensure the aircrews came home safe after each mission.

A few feet away, Capt. David Jones was surrounded by his wife, Shelby, and their son, Nathan, who just turned nine months old. It was the second time the weapons system officer had deployed since he earned his commission six years ago.

"It's a lot more intense over there," he said. Over the past six months, the squadron remained on call around-the-clock to perform a multitude of missions in the region.

But that was nothing compared to not having the chance to see his son every night, Jones added. While he was able to see his son in photographs and during video chats, knowing his son was halfway around the world was still tough to deal with.

During a separate event on Saturday, the base welcomed home another group of airmen. Among them were the aircrews that flew their F-15E fighters back from Afghanistan.

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  • Welcome Home Gunfighters! Thank you for your sacrifices.

    -- Posted by GetRealNow on Fri, Oct 11, 2013, at 9:13 AM
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