Photo By Staff Sgt. Joshua Joseph Magbanua | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jordan Taft, 728th Air Mobility Squadron aircraft...... read more read more
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INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey—
When watching war movies, viewers tend to focus on those who rush into battle and send the adversaries scattering—either making them run for the hills or blasting them into oblivion. They often overlook the supporting cast, forgetting that these are the characters who push the action forward.
Likewise in real-world combat, it is not just troops putting warheads on foreheads who win the fight: they need numerous logistics and support to achieve victory.
This is why Airmen from multiple trades work together to form the triad of victory: logistics, air mobility and aerial refueling.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Nathaniel Hogan, a fuels facility technician at the 39th Logistics Squadron, described fuel as the lifeblood of every mission. Everything happens because of it, and nothing happens without it. Because of this, Hogan and his colleagues working at the petroleum, oils and lubricants flight put their heart and soul into delivering war-winning energy.
“Without POL, you’re not getting anything done,” Hogan said. “You have all these moving parts, and when you put them all together—that’s what gets the mission done,” he added. “You can’t do one thing without the other. We all have to work together to make the mission a success. Everyone plays a key part.”
While 39th LRS Airmen fuel the fight, Airmen of the 728th Air Mobility Squadron move the fight.
These air mobility specialists serve as the gatekeepers of a massive theater of operations. This squadron’s mission is to service aircraft coming in and out of the area.
“Every single person that arrives and departs Incirlik Air Base has been able to do so because of the 728th AMS,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam Taylor, an aircraft services supervisor. “Our squadron works closely with the 39th LRS to ensure that all inbound and outbound cargo is delivered to the right customer in a timely manner.”
Secondly, we work with the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron to ensure their aircraft lavatories are serviced as requested,” he continued. “We also make sure their units’ cargo is properly joint inspected.”
The 22nd EARS is the last component of the triad of victory. Warriors cannot destroy their enemies without energy, and sometimes they need it on the go.
This is why Airmen of the 22nd EARS do their best to fuel the fight in the air—serving as pit stops in the sky. The squadron, however, does not just serve U.S. Air Force aircraft. It also supports missions from other branches of service and even from allied nations.
“We are responsible for (a large portion) of the area of responsibility’s fueling capability,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Rob Miller, 22nd EARS superintendent. “Without the fuel from the KC-135 (air refueling aircraft), the aircraft in the area of responsibility would not have the ability to stay in the air and support our troops on the ground or put bombs on target.”
Miller went on to describe the numerous players who contribute to the mission, whether they are in the triad of victory or not. He shrugged off the notion that only Airmen who wear flight suits and fly planes deserve the spotlight in the big picture of mission accomplishment.
“Mission success comes not just from the pilots and enlisted aircrew, but the crew chiefs launching the jets, the maintenance personnel in the back shops repairing the aircraft, and the POL personnel gassing the jet up again for the next go,” he said. “It also comes from the Airmen at the gym, finance, mission personnel section, medical group, security forces and all over Incirlik because they directly affect the security, morale, health, welfare, and resilience of each and every member.”
No matter what job an Airman has, all Airmen make victory possible.
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 08.29.2019 10:14 |
| Story ID: | 337858 |
| Location: | INCIRLIK AIR BASE, TR |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Triad of Victory, by SSgt Joshua Joseph Magbanua, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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