Security Forces and transportation troops recount desert duty

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Leo Brown
  • 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Airmen of the 442nd Security Forces Squadron and the 442nd Logistics Readiness Squadron recently returned home after a seven-month deployment to Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The contingent made up of 26 442nd SFS and five 442nd LRS Airmen, arrived at Kirkuk last August and September then returned to Whiteman Air Force Base in March, bringing back a wealth of experiences and insights.

PRIDE IN THEIR WORK

The troops said they were proud of their work, providing base security and transportation, as they endured temperatures ranging from the 130s to the 20s, including two snow storms. The weather, however, was just one of many memories that left deep impressions on the Airmen.

A shot-up Army Humvee being brought back on base. Mortar and rocket attacks. Meeting Iraqis who worked on base but wouldn't tell anyone off base where they worked for fear of retribution. Sheep herders, "just like on 'The Little Drummer Boy'," according to Tech. Sgt. Craig Gall, 442nd SFS. Oil wells burning all day and all night. Caskets of Army Soldiers being loaded on aircraft for a final trip home.

"The thing I'm proudest of is that we all came home safe," said Staff Sgt. Brian Byler, 442nd SFS.

"No one got on base who wasn't supposed to," Sergeant Gall said. "We put up a hard target and never got penetrated."

The security forces searched roughly 5,000 vehicles trying to enter the base, occasionally finding an assortment of contraband that included alcohol, pornographic material, maps, knives and video cameras.

"Any kind of storage or recording device can't be brought on base," Tech. Sgt. Jeff Bousman said. "They'd try to hide cell phones in dash boards sometimes and if we couldn't get into compartments, we'd just bust them open."

"We had the master key," Tech. Sgt. Joe Erler said.

While the Airmen maintained order on base, off base was another story.

"One time we were on the perimeter of the base in a Humvee," Staff Sgt. Scott Isaacson said. "There's a road that goes by the base - Clemson - and a car bomb went off. It was supposed to kill an Iraqi general. I saw it explode. There was a big ball of fire. I was looking in that direction and saw the car hood flying off."

Burning oil wells, belching mountains of smoke, also made for quite a sight.

"All day and all night, the oil wells would be burning and you're breathing that stuff in. There were also open sewage pits, a huge lake of it that would make you throw up if you got within half a mile of it," Master Sgt. Robert Reeves, SFS, said. "It was dirty dirty dirty over there."

Dealing with the stress of rocket and mortar attacks and other threats, the Airmen said focusing on their jobs helped them keep a healthy level of detachment.

"It is what it is," Sergeant Gall said. "You just press on and do your job. You control what you can control and don't worry about what you can't control. A self-preservation mechanism kicks in. You just let things roll off your back. Keep your attitude and sense of humor, because a situation is what it is."

"When we first got there, a rocket attack was a big deal," said Staff Sgt. Phillip Werner, SFS. "Then we slowly realized that they couldn't aim and would often shoot over the base. So when an alarm would sound, you'd put your (protective gear) on and continue watching TV."

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Another "big deal" at Kirkuk was the relationships the Airmen built with some of the local populace.

"You might speak with them when they came through," Sergeant Byler said. "Most of the locals in that area are Kurds and they like us. They want us there."

"They like American money," Sergeant Gall said. However, he and other Airmen added that the Iraqis desire more than just that.

"You'd be sitting in the base towers and see hundreds and hundreds of people lined up on the side of the four-lane highway, walking along or waiting to go to the police academy that was next to the base," Sergeant Byler said. "If someone came by and blew up 200 of them, the next morning there'd more another two hundred lined up."

"They live that life every day," Master Sgt. Reeves said. "It's more than just money. They want to see their country succeed."

COMING HOME

When their tour of duty ended in March, the Airmen said they were reminded of the age-old military maxim "hurry up and wait", as they began their trip home. Schedule changes, cancelled flights and going through customs multiple times, the troops worked their way from Southwest Asia to Budapest, Hungary, to Shannon, Ireland, to Baltimore-Washington International Airport and, finally, home to Whiteman Ai r Force Base.

"After the holidays, boredom sets in," said Staff Sergeant Craig Alexander, 442nd LRS. "I have a wife and two teen-agers and we were all very anxious to get out of (Kirkuk).

"It was very emotional," Sergeant Alexander said. "You're telling yourself on the plane ride that you'll be happy and smiling, but I was just overwhelmed when I got off the plane. About 20 people showed up from my civilian job and some people from the 442nd. It was a little embarrassing. My lips started quivering and my eyes were watering."

Sergeant Alexander said his kids were more shocked than anything at the sight of their father.

"My kids' reaction was, 'Oh, my gosh! Is this the same dad?' because I'd lost 40 pounds over there.''

"We could call home pretty much when we wanted, but being away was rough," said Senior Airman Rob Long, 442nd LRS. "But you think of everyone who has it a lot worse. We were deployed with the Army and they're there for 15 months at a time. They may miss two Christmases in a row."