USAF, Coalition AWACS Redefine Combined Ops

Australian Flt. Lt. Troy Roempke conducts an operations check on an oxygen mask during a preflight inspection on the E-3B Sentry, Oct. 4, 2008. Members of four coalition countries are united in one U.S. Air Force deployed unit. Americans, Australians, British and Canadians are flying operational sorties on the same crew for what is likely to be the first time in history. The 965th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron is the first unit of its kind to deploy to this location with three different coalition partners as squadron members. To take it a step further, all four coalition members can be found on the same aircraft flying operational sorties. The unit, from Tinker Air Force Base's 552nd Air Control Wing in Oklahoma, brought Australian, British and Canadian members who are assigned to the 965th EAACS at home station into the Area of Responsibility with them.