379th Air Expeditionary Wing

Story by Airman 1st Class David Dobrydney

When it's fourth and one on the goal line and Coalition forces need help fast, they often look to the "roving linebacker" of the area of responsibility.

The B1-B Lancer has been providing close air support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to forces since 2006. Here, the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is charged with executing B-1 operations throughout Southwest Asia.

"The guys up in country are counting on us to make the [target] times to support them," said Capt. James Corrigan, 37 EBS assistant director of operations.

To carry out this large-scale mission, Corrigan, who's deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., said, a variety of components must be in place. "Besides the aircrew contingent, we have life support, arms personnel, intelligence analysts, [client support administrators] and crew communications."

All of these personnel are essential for the air crew to carry out their mission, which on average can last 13 hours. Including the preflight preparation, a B-1 crew's day can stretch up to 16 hours.

When it was first introduced to the Air Force inventory in 1986, the primary mission of the B-1 was to penetrate heavily fortified airspace at high speeds and deliver a substantial payload. The traditional kinetic role of the B-1 has since transitioned into a multi-faceted mission for today's fight; now it flies close air support missions throughout the U.S. Central Command's Area of Responsibility, which had been reserved primarily for the fighter platforms.

Air refueling capabilities, in combination with the ability to carry a large amount of fuel, enable the jet to maintain a longer loiter time over the battlefield, Corrigan said. "We can be on one side of the battlefield and fly to the opposite end to provide support if necessary. For fighter type aircraft, an air refueling is usually required."

Lt. Col. Steven Biggs, 37 EBS commander, echoed Corrigan's analysis. "Where we don't have to contend with an integrated air defense system, we have freedom of movement in the air which allows us to orbit over a particular point," he said.

During a B-1's loiter time over the battlefield, when they aren't providing kinetic support, they are guiding other air assets, said Maj. Craig Winters, 37 EBS weapons system officer. "We can become the communications node with other aircraft such as the [F-15E] Strike Eagle or the A-10 [Thunderbolt], working with their operators to coordinate shows of force."

When releasing munitions, B-1 crews previously relied on air-to-ground radar and joint tactical air controllers for guidance. Recently, however, B-1's have been fitted with a Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, which allows crews to view the AOR with greater clarity. With it, "we're seeing everything that's happening on the ground and can provide feedback to JTACs and other players on the field," Corrigan said.

This is the 37 EBS' first deployment using the Sniper Pod. Prior to deploying, the 37 EBS Airmen had three to four months of training with this new piece of equipment, training that has paid off tremendously in Biggs' view.

"It has increased the workload of the aircrews but, at the same time, it has increased our overall situational awareness," he said.

Winters has served on deployments both with and without the Sniper Pod. He agreed that it has made his job more demanding, but also mentioned the many benefits the pod has provided.

Besides improving the picture of the battleground situation, Winters said the pod has improved air to ground communication for the aircrew. "Now we don't have to tell the JTACs what we're seeing," he said. "With the video uplink they can view it themselves."

"We're doing great things out here; we're being used in ways a B-1 couldn't have been used before," Biggs said. "We've found IEDs along roads, we've tracked bad guys until ground forces could capture them and we've taken coordinates and dropped munitions. We have run the full gamut."

Biggs said he couldn't ask for a better team of professionals. "The Airmen of the 37 EBS Tigers are 100 percent focused on ensuring the success of the squadron in finding and destroying the enemy," he said. "Their performance on this deployment has been exceptional. I am proud of each and every one of them."

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