Lancing the Taliban - Airman's World - bomber missions over Afghanistan - Brief Article

Airman, Dec, 2001 by Louis A. Arana-Barradas

SAN ANTONIO -- Bomber crews who fly strike missions over Afghanistan have "quite a drive" to get to and from their targets.

Each sortie - flown mostly over the vast Indian Ocean - may last from 12 to 15 hours. And they may involve extended stays over the country. The round trip is more than 5,500 miles.

But threats to aircrews are almost nonexistent, said "Captain Lucky," a B-lB Lancer bomber pilot during an Oct. 31 television interview.

"The air defenses we've seen have been minimal," Captain Lucky said. "I've not really seen any direct threat,"

The captain, who flew 12 missions during Allied Force, said Afghan air defenses don't compare to those he faced over Kosovo. Even so, aircrews fly with heightened awareness.

"You're definitely looking [for threatsl the whole time you're there," he said.

Then there's the long flight home, said "Captain Bama." a Lancer bomber weapons system officer. She said there is a bit of a letdown once the bombers are over the ocean and headed home.

"You're more relaxed, in a sense," she said. "But at the same time, our feet aren't on the ground, and we still have a lot more flying to do." Thoughts turn to getting home safely.

Including the mission planning, each strike is at least a 24-hour affair. Planning is done mostly at night and takes hours. Before a strike, aircrews study flight plans. Most memorizing the bomb run, Captain Lucky said. On the way to the target, aircrews spend a lot of time running through the potential problems or threats they may encounter.

And, he said, figuring out "how I'm going to deal with that to make the mission happen."

Still, he said missions over Afghanistan are easier than those flown from home base at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The base is home to the 28th Bomb Wing.

Flying over Afghanistan is a lot like training runs over the Utah Test and Training Range, he said. But stateside, threats tossed into a mission are much more complicated and harder to defeat.

The support team keeping Lancers flying works nonstop. They worked around the clock for three weeks to bed down their bomber operation. Nobody got a day off.

Twelve-hour shifts are still the norm. But troops aren't complaining, said "Staff Sgt. Otis." The maintenance operations center controller said people know they have a key goal to achieve.

"We're extremely focused on the task at hand." he said. Plus, everyone is anxious to help ensure the success of the war on terrorism, he said. That equates to ready-to-fly bombers.

So Lancers have flown with few incidents or breaks, said Col. Ed Rice. the deployed wing commander. He said missions have "been greatly successful."

The airmen performing the mission are far from where the bombs land. They don't see the results. But they do have a hand in the success of Operation Enduring Freedom. That's why they don't mind the long hours. They can deal with the family separation. That comes with the job, they say.

For their efforts, the aircrews and maintainers ask very little. Staff Sgt. Otis just asks Americans to stand behind their military.

"To be proud of what their sons and daughters are doing for their country," he said.

And Rice said it's key that people "back home" continue to take care of the families airmen left behind. Because knowing their families are safe will let a lot of airmen rest easy at night.

That, he said. "is extremely important to the end result of what we're trying to achieve."