The “Scorpions” of the 603rd Air Control Squadron from Aviano AB, Italy, are coordinating air support for coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan. Since deploying to Kandahar Air Base earlier in January, 86 members of the 603rd have been using radars to provide command and control of all aircraft flying over Afghanistan. Preparing for this deployment took eight months for the unit, which comprises career fields from radar controllers to civil engineers to vehicle maintenance and intelligence, and which is “always in the deployment bucket,” reports Air Force journalist SrA. Sarah Gregory.
Clearing jungle and laying asphalt in tropical heat may not sound like fun to most people, but it’s a way of life for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) Airmen, who have spent the past year or so restoring World War II-era airfields on the Pacific…