366th Fighter Wing returns home.

Airmen from the 366th Fighter Wing disembark from the aircraft and shake hands with senior base leaders after a six-month deployment to Southwest Asia Sept. 27 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The 391st Fighter Squadron and 366th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron executed Combined Forces Air Component Command priorities, took advantage of training opportunities to impart valuable knowledge to host nation partners and bolstered regional security. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Benjamin Sutton)

Redeployment

Families welcomed back Airmen from the 366th Fighter Wing who deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The deployed members executed Combined Forces Air Component Command priorities, took advantage of training opportunities to impart valuable knowledge to host nation partners and bolstered regional security. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Roy Lynch)

Redeployment

Airmen from the 366th Fighter Wing returned Sept 27 from a deployment to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Airmen took advantage of training opportunities while providing critical combat power in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Roy Lynch)

Redeployment

Airmen from the 366th Fighter Wing returned Sept 27 from a deployment to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Airmen in a variety of non-aviation roles conducted a wide range of tasks to ensure the success of providing critical combat power capabilities in that region of the world. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Roy Lynch)

MHAFB Airmen return from deployment

Published Oct. 1, 2012
By Senior Airman Benjamin Sutton
366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- Airmen from the 366th Fighter Wing returned Sept 27 from a deployment to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The 391st Fighter Squadron and 366th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron executed Combined Forces Air Component Command priorities, took advantage of training opportunities to impart valuable knowledge to host nation partners and bolstered regional security.

Family members and fellow Gunfighters were on hand to welcome home the Airmen.

"I'm extremely happy my husband is home," said Melissa Shields. "This will be his first opportunity to meet his son who was born while he was gone."

Many families will be transitioning to new bases now that they are reunited with loved ones.

"We will be changing station to Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida," said Katie Vetter. "Today is the beginning of a new chapter in my family's life now that my husband is home. It's going to be a huge change from Idaho."

Airmen in a variety of non-aviation roles conducted a wide range of tasks to ensure the success of providing critical combat power capabilities in that region of the world.

"We were working six days a week, 12-hour shifts," said Staff Sgt. Jabari-Ibin Brooks, 366th Equipment Maintenance Squadron munitions technician. "It was a long-time coming but I'm proud of what we accomplished."

This particular deployment was difficult for many personnel as Capt. Dee "Piston" Imlay who was assigned to the 391st FS, died March 28, 2012, in an accident involving an F-15E Strike Eagle.

"Losing a member of the Gunfighter community was extremely difficult for us but the amount of support we received from back home was incredible and we could feel it from 7,000 miles away," said Maj. Ryan Behringer, 391st FS assistant director of operations. "We were able to pull together and complete the mission we were tasked with."