Welcoming home their deployed family members and friends of the US Air Force (USAF) 2nd Bomb Wing (BW) and US Air Force Reserve (USAFR) 917th Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), Louisiana (LA), returning from deployment in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. In the background, the P-51 Mustang, Moonbeam McSwine, a WWII aircraft is on display
Summary
The original finding aid described this photograph as:
Base: Barksdale Air Force Base
State: Louisiana (LA)
Country: United States Of America (USA)
Scene Major Command Shown: ACC
Scene Camera Operator: MSGT Michael A. Kaplan, USAF
Release Status: Released to Public
Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files
Iraq War aka Operation IRAQI FREEDOM was the 2003 invasion of Iraq, led by U.S. Army General Tommy Franks, under the code-name "Operation Iraqi Freedom". 248,000 soldiers from the United States, 45,000 British soldiers, 2,000 Australian soldiers and 194 Polish soldiers from Special Forces unit GROM sent to Kuwait for the invasion. The invasion force was also supported by Iraqi Kurdish militia troops, estimated to number upwards of 70,000.