Friends and family welcome Airmen home

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Beth Woodward
  • 388th Fighter Wing public affairs
Approximately 300 Airmen from the active duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing returned from a deployment to Balad Air Base, Iraq Jan. 8. 

In August, F-16 Fighting Falcons and associated pilots, maintenance and support personnel from the 4th Fighter Squadron deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit's primary mission was to maintain security and stability in the region by providing close air support for coalition ground troops. 

While deployed, the unit flew approximately 1,800 combat missions and 8,000 hours, the of any F-16 unit during a rotational deployment to Balad.

The Airmen deployed as part of Air and Space Expeditionary Force 9/10, which is a cross-section of air and space capabilities that can be tailored to meet the combatant commander's needs. 

The group arrived via transporter aircraft near the 388th FW's aircraft maintenance hangars where families gathered to welcome home their loved ones.

The wing's 421st Fighter Squadron, or "Black Widows," replaced the 4th in theater in early January.