Galloway native volunteers to deploy -- keeps planes over Afghanistan

Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Greg Biondo | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joseph Searle from Galloway, New Jersey is a member of Aircrew Flight Equipment with the 451st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. The mission of the 451st EFS is to deliver decisive airpower on target, on time.  

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN

04.06.2012

Story by Staff Sgt. David Salanitri 

United States Air Forces Central           

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - A native of Galloway, N.J., recently deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

U.S. Air Staff Sgt. Joseph Searle, an aircrew flight equipment technician with the 451st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, deployed from the New Jersey Air National Guard, is impacting the enemy throughout Afghanistan by keeping the pilots who fly the F-16C Fighting Falcon here safe so they can delivery decisive airpower in the region.

"I'm here for one main reason -- to support the pilots," said Searle. "If their equipment fails them, then they can't do their mission and people could get hurt."

Searle is a unique person -- he volunteered to come out here.

"Coming out here was something I felt I had to do," said Searle, a graduate of Father Judge High School, class of ‘04. "Working with another unit has been a good time. I've learned a lot out here."

• Date Taken: 04.06.2012
• Date Posted: 04.06.2012 13:53
• Story ID: 86391
• Location: KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF