964th EAACS, funny looking plane, important mission

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Denoris Mickle | A U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry crew poses on their aircraft after a combat support operation over Afghanistan March 1, 2012. The crew is deployed to the 964th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron under the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The Sentry is an airborne warning and control system, or AWACS, that provides situational awareness of friendly, neutral and hostile activity, command and control of an area of responsibility, battle management of theater forces, all-altitude and all-weather surveillance of the battle space, and early warning of enemy actions during joint, allied, and coalition operations.  

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03.05.2012

Story by Staff Sgt. Sara Keller 

United States Air Forces Central           

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The first thing most people think of when they hear airborne warning and control system, or AWACS, is the E-3 Sentry. It looks like your normal, everyday commercial aircraft, except one thing.

The E-3 Sentry has a huge rotating radar dome fastened to its roof that looks like an over-sized hockey puck.

It might look pretty funny at first, but it serves a major purpose that helps the airmen of the 964th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron get their mission completed every day.

"The 964th EAACS's mission is to provide tactical command and control throughout the battle space," said Lt. Col. David F. Evans, 964th EAACS commander. "We ensure our soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen have air power at a moment's notice to ensure their safety and security."

The dome on the aircraft sends out radar signals, which allow the airmen onboard to detect aircraft at long ranges and control and command the battle space in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack plane strikes.

With more than 200 operators working in 10 different specialties within the squadron, AWACS personnel have played a large role in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Specialties vary from communications systems operators and airborne radar technicians to pilots and electronic warfare officers, all fulfilling their specific and necessary positions.

"The mission is a team effort and every airman plays an important role in our daily execution," Evans said. "We could not complete our mission without each and every one of them. We are only as strong as the team and no one person is more important than any other."

Inside, the plane definitely doesn't look like a typical commercial aircraft. As soon as you walk in, you would see the multiple rows of consoles where airmen work during their long sorties.

In the front is the flightdeck where the pilots sit, and in the rear of the aircraft is where passengers can sit or crew can rest on cots.

Airmen assigned to the 964th put in long hours, sometimes working sorties up to 15 hours, and require a tremendous amount of attention to detail; the commander said he asks himself every day how these airmen get this mission done.

"Our maintenance brothers and sisters have excelled, ensuring the aircrew have a mission-ready jet to fly every day," the commander said. "The aircrews have done a phenomenal job addressing theater challenges and finding solutions. Their 98 percent mission execution rate throughout the last four months can be attributed to the combined maintenance and operations team, their hard work and unwillingness to fail."

• Date Taken: 03.05.2012
• Date Posted: 03.06.2012 06:46
• Story ID: 84795
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)