Photo By 1st Lt. Daphney Black | Task Force Toro’s commander, aviators, aircrew, and maintenance team pose for a...... read more read more
AL-ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — Initially deployed to Camp Taji in Iraq on May 29, 2018, Task Force Toro (TF Toro) comprised of personnel and resources sourced from various military aviation and support companies across Spain, with the mission of providing both air and ground support as part of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.
Despite remaining steadfast in its mission and organizational structure six years later, TF Toro recently achieved a significant milestone by reaching their 9,000th flight hours on Feb. 19, 2024, at Al-Asad Air Base, Iraq.
Reflecting on this achievement, Spanish Maj. Francisco Javier Fernández Roldán, the commander for TF Toro, expressed pride in leading a team of dedicated soldiers.
"This has been a great milestone for the unit, which highlights the dedication of all our personnel, said Roldán. "As the commander of this unit, I feel really proud to lead this group of great soldiers who demonstrate their professionalism every day."
Since their deployment in 2018, each rotation completed about 800 flight hours, transporting over 5,000 passengers and many cargos.
The commander for the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, also known as Task Force Talon, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Donald Sulpizio, hailed TF Toro as a "legacy unit," highlighting their crucial role in supporting airlift movements for both passengers and cargos in support of CJTF-OIR, NATO Mission Iraq, and any other requirement throughout the Combined Joint Operating Area (CJOA).
"TF Toro is a legacy Unit, conducting air-ground operations in support of Task Force Pegasus and CJTF-OIR, enabling counter-terrorism forces to establish a secure environment and sustaining capability across the CJOA," expressed Sulpizio. "Their achievement of 9,000 combat hours represents the commitment and sacrifices of past, current, and future TF Toro soldiers. Their team maximizes support to ground force commanders by providing aviation assets at the right place and time through optimal asset allocation and maintenance posture."
Roldán also acknowledged the contributions of the behind-the-scenes team, particularly the maintainers and support personnel whose hard work keeping up with scheduled maintenance and unforeseen issues was critical in maintaining mission-ready aircraft.
"9,000 flight hours is only the tip of the iceberg. There is a huge amount of working hours behind that, not only maintenance hours but hours of work of personnel from operations, logistics, and signal cells as well," said Roldán.
Al-Asad Base Commander, Lt. Col. Russell P. Lemler, acknowledged the aviators' exceptional feat, and commended the Spanish commander, stating, "Maj. Javier Roldán and the Spanish aviators have been exceptional teammates for Al-Asad. Their commitment to improving force protection and supporting other units with flight capacity enables the OIR mission. We couldn't be more successful without such solidarity and trust."
Sulpizio stressed the importance of teamwork, noting, "None of us are as good as all of us. TF Toro understands their role as a combat enabler to support the ground force commanders to the maximum extent possible. At AAAB, TF Toro represents a team of [agile and adaptive teams]. Their soldiers, aviation maintainers, and aircrews have and continue to significantly contribute to an increasingly secure environment in which CJTF-OIR forces [can] conduct their missions, and Daesh is denied safe haven."
He added, "Every day, they go to war for each other. Their service to one another and our partners from across many nations is the rent they pay to serve at Al-Asad Air base. We'd all fight to serve with Toro Again!"
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2024 04:34 |
| Story ID: | 464852 |
| Location: | AL-ASAD AIR BASE, IQ |
| Hometown: | SEVILLA, ES |
| Hometown: | FORT DRUM, NY, US |
| Hometown: | FORT LIBERTY, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 686 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Reaching New Heights: Task Force Toro Reaches 9,000 Flight Hours, by 1st Lt. Daphney Black, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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