Free Republic

Diverted by weather to a deployed base housing both airmen and soldiers, the F-16 pilots had the opportunity to see the troops they support from the air. By U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Paul Dean 407th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs ALI BASE, Iraq, Oct. 28, 2005 — The sky above Balad Air Base, Iraq, was thick with dust and sand when four F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots completed another mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.They were headed to their deployment “home” in Balad when they were eventually diverted here Oct. 17. "There’s no simulator that can teach you...

10/19/2005 - ALI BASE, Iraq -- The sky above Balad Air Base was thick with dust and sand when four F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots completed another mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were headed to their deployed home at Balad Oct. 17 when they were eventually diverted here. Their mission started early that morning, but it was well past lunch when they traveled in a holding pattern above a dusty Balad. The four F-16 pilots, from the 332nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, had aerial refueled and were waiting for the sandstorm to pass. But weather forecasters determined the storm...