Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Miami Herald
March 15, 2009
Pg. SD3
After 75 Air Force Reservists return home to Homestead, future plans for the base remain uncertain.
By Whitney Sessa
As America's time in Iraq comes to a close, Homestead Air Force Reservists prepare for the uncertain future ahead.
Two weeks ago, a group of 75 reservists returned to their Homestead Air Reserve Base following a two-month deployment to Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Improved conditions and a set pullout date in Iraq are expected to steer the Homestead base in a new direction -- perhaps Afghanistan, but nothing is set.
Indeed, perhaps the base won't be used overseas.
''Only time will tell,'' said Brig. Gen. William B. Binger, commander of the 482nd Fighter Wing. ``When our elected officials tell us where they want us to go, we'll do it.''
Over the next two months, reservists will continue to rotate in and out of Iraq to return the 10 remaining F-16 fighter jets to the Homestead base. When the wing brings the aviation unit back around May, it will continue regular training until the Air Force makes its call.
''We're business as usual whether we're in Iraq or Homestead,'' said Second Lt. Erik Hofmeyer, spokesman for the Homestead base. ``By that, I mean we train the same we operate in deployed environments.''
After five mobilizations of the F-16s to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Homestead reservists know what it takes to train for deployments, Hofmeyer said. Until the next deployment, the base will continue to fly almost every day, applying knowledge gained in Iraq and Afghanistan to prepare for future missions.
Within a year's time, the wing is expected to know whether it will again be deploying overseas or not. Although current rotations have all been to Iraq, it is likely that reservists could also be deploying to Afghanistan, Binger said.
''Reason tells me that's where focus will shift to,'' he said. ``If the administration is going to shift their focus there, that's where we will shift our focus to.''
If reservists are sent to Afghanistan, they will be faced with new challenges not encountered while in Iraq -- such as mountains and a lack of modern facilities, Binger said.
''The challenge in Afghanistan is that the infrastructure is generally nonexistent,'' Binger said. ``Getting in and around there is more difficult. Iraq is a place that has very good infrastructure.''
''Baghdad is a very metropolitan city, whereas in Afghanistan, that is not the case,'' said 2nd Lt. Tim Haffner, a reservist with Homestead's agile combat support.
''Not only has Afghanistan been war ravaged for over 35 years, but there's also challenges because of its terrain and geographic position,'' he said. ``There's also a lack of roads, structure, electricity, sanitation and access to medical care.''
Haffner, 36, a 19-year reservist who works with the civil engineering squadron as part of the explosive ordnance disposal team, has completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. If conditions continue to improve in Iraq, he believes more overseas missions could be in store.
Agile combat support forces at the base, which are not tied to aviation, are constantly deployed to overseas missions.
Many are currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. These forces include civil engineers, security forces, medical and service squadrons. They make up the largest amount of reservists at the base.
Regardless of how the reservists serve overseas, they share a hardship -- leaving loved ones behind. Often, the separation is harder on the family than the person deployed, Binger said.
''At home, life goes on,'' he said. ``Kids have to go school and the bills have to be paid. The pressures on the family are the greatest.''
If Air Force reservists are not instructed to deploy, the base will undergo an operational readiness inspection, a test conducted by higher headquarters during cycles of nondeployment to assess the readiness of the unit.
Despite the tentative plans, Binger predicts reservist support for missions to stand strong.
''By and large our folks will continue to volunteer,'' he said.
March 15, 2009
Pg. SD3
After 75 Air Force Reservists return home to Homestead, future plans for the base remain uncertain.
By Whitney Sessa
As America's time in Iraq comes to a close, Homestead Air Force Reservists prepare for the uncertain future ahead.
Two weeks ago, a group of 75 reservists returned to their Homestead Air Reserve Base following a two-month deployment to Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Improved conditions and a set pullout date in Iraq are expected to steer the Homestead base in a new direction -- perhaps Afghanistan, but nothing is set.
Indeed, perhaps the base won't be used overseas.
''Only time will tell,'' said Brig. Gen. William B. Binger, commander of the 482nd Fighter Wing. ``When our elected officials tell us where they want us to go, we'll do it.''
Over the next two months, reservists will continue to rotate in and out of Iraq to return the 10 remaining F-16 fighter jets to the Homestead base. When the wing brings the aviation unit back around May, it will continue regular training until the Air Force makes its call.
''We're business as usual whether we're in Iraq or Homestead,'' said Second Lt. Erik Hofmeyer, spokesman for the Homestead base. ``By that, I mean we train the same we operate in deployed environments.''
After five mobilizations of the F-16s to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Homestead reservists know what it takes to train for deployments, Hofmeyer said. Until the next deployment, the base will continue to fly almost every day, applying knowledge gained in Iraq and Afghanistan to prepare for future missions.
Within a year's time, the wing is expected to know whether it will again be deploying overseas or not. Although current rotations have all been to Iraq, it is likely that reservists could also be deploying to Afghanistan, Binger said.
''Reason tells me that's where focus will shift to,'' he said. ``If the administration is going to shift their focus there, that's where we will shift our focus to.''
If reservists are sent to Afghanistan, they will be faced with new challenges not encountered while in Iraq -- such as mountains and a lack of modern facilities, Binger said.
''The challenge in Afghanistan is that the infrastructure is generally nonexistent,'' Binger said. ``Getting in and around there is more difficult. Iraq is a place that has very good infrastructure.''
''Baghdad is a very metropolitan city, whereas in Afghanistan, that is not the case,'' said 2nd Lt. Tim Haffner, a reservist with Homestead's agile combat support.
''Not only has Afghanistan been war ravaged for over 35 years, but there's also challenges because of its terrain and geographic position,'' he said. ``There's also a lack of roads, structure, electricity, sanitation and access to medical care.''
Haffner, 36, a 19-year reservist who works with the civil engineering squadron as part of the explosive ordnance disposal team, has completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. If conditions continue to improve in Iraq, he believes more overseas missions could be in store.
Agile combat support forces at the base, which are not tied to aviation, are constantly deployed to overseas missions.
Many are currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. These forces include civil engineers, security forces, medical and service squadrons. They make up the largest amount of reservists at the base.
Regardless of how the reservists serve overseas, they share a hardship -- leaving loved ones behind. Often, the separation is harder on the family than the person deployed, Binger said.
''At home, life goes on,'' he said. ``Kids have to go school and the bills have to be paid. The pressures on the family are the greatest.''
If Air Force reservists are not instructed to deploy, the base will undergo an operational readiness inspection, a test conducted by higher headquarters during cycles of nondeployment to assess the readiness of the unit.
Despite the tentative plans, Binger predicts reservist support for missions to stand strong.
''By and large our folks will continue to volunteer,'' he said.