Waiting for Daddy

DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Senior Airman Matthew Swangin's family waits for him during his briefing session after his return home from deployment here, Oct. 20. Airman Swangin, from the 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was part of 100+ Airman that returned after a four month deployment from Southwest Asia today. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jennifer Romig)

40th AS warriors return from another successful deployment

Published Oct. 22, 2008
By 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- 109 Airmen and four C-130s from the 40th Airlift Squadron returned Oct. 20 from a four-month deployment to Southwest Asia in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom and the Horn of Africa.

The "Screaming Eagles" are part of Dyess' tenant unit, the 317th Airlift Group, Air Mobility Command's premiere tactical airlift group. The group's two flying squadrons, the 39th and 40th, together with their accompanying maintainers and crew members, alternate deployments approximately every 120 days and are among the Air Force's busiest flying groups.

Lt. Col. Buff Burkel, 40th Airlift Squadron commander, said she was glad to see the 40th's warriors safely back home from yet another history-making deployment.

The 317th has been continuously deployed since Dec. 2003 "to provide all phases of combat delivery, air-land, airdrop, airlift maintenance and recovery, operations support and deployable air mobility command and control," according to Wikipedia.