Staff Sgt. Ramon Escobedo greets a loved one Sep. 22 during the 729th Air Control Squadron's Hill AFB homecoming. In May, over 200 Airmen from the unit deployed to Joint Base Balad, Iraq to provide radar air surveillance and command and control of coalition aircraft for combatant commanders. During the four-month rotation, the 729th ACS' air battle managers and support personnel alongside its ground radar and tactical vehicle equipment controlled over 277,000 square miles of Iraq’s airspace for over 3,000 hours. (Photo by 1st Lt. Beth Woodward)

Over 200 729th Air Control Squadron Airmen returned to Hill AFB Sep. 22 from a four-month Air Expeditionary Force rotation to Joint Base Balad, Iraq. The 729th ACS is one of three, active duty air control squadrons in the U.S., keeping the unit and its unique combat capabilities in high demand. This rotation marks the sixth time the 729th ACS has deployed to the Central Command area of responsibility since 2003. (Photo by 1st Lt. Beth Woodward)