Bringing Flight to the Fight

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Justin Brockhoff
  • 341st Space Wing Public Affairs Office
For Captains Marc Milligan and Shane Werley, a 'normal day at the office' includes anything from shooting instrument approaches and flying security sweeps to instructing younger pilots and dropping cops out of their birds.
 
Soon, that 'normal day at the office' will be flying combat missions with the Iraqi military. A first for Air Force helicopter crews in the Global War on Terrorism. 

Both men, who volunteered for this duty, were selected because of their experience and expertise as instructors in the UH-1N "Huey." The position was only open to those with an instructor pilot rating and once all of the packages were submitted, the most qualified applicants were chosen. 

"I cannot think of anyone more qualified for this demanding duty," said Lt. Col. Bill Thomas, 40th Helicopter Squadron commander. "Both officers are passionate about the mission and possess the integrity, professionalism, self-discipline and technical skills to succeed in such an austere environment." 

Captains Milligan and Werley learned of their selection for the year-long assignment in June. Next week, they will be leaving the U.S. to help stand-up the first squadrons of the Iraqi Air Force. 

"Bottom line, our mission is to get the Iraqis back in the fight," Captain Werley said. He has more than 1,400 hours in the UH-1 series of aircraft. "The goal is to have the Iraqi pilots and crews flying missions within the next year and eventually to have entirely-Iraqi crews flying missions on their own." 

To get the Iraqi forces to that point, the two captains will work as part of a 28-member flight, specifically geared toward training Iraqi pilots, flight engineers and maintenance crews on how to operate and maintain their aircraft. 

The specific model of the UH-1 the captains will operate while deployed is the UH-1H, or the "Huey II." The "Huey II" has more power and newer instrumentation than any of the previous UH-1 models and is also designed to operate in the high temperatures found in many of today's combat environments. When the captains arrive in-theatre, the Iraqi-owned "Huey II's" will already be there waiting for them. 

To help prepare them to operate in combat environments, Captains Werley and Milligan, along with other flight members, spent five weeks training with the 6th Special Operations Squadron, out of Hurlburt Field, Fla. The 6th SOS specializes in helping stand-up forces and training other military personnel the necessary skills associated with raising new units. 

"The training we had with the sixth was an eye-opening experience and really helped us understand what we're going to face while deployed," said Captain Milligan. "It taught us that we're going to have to think out of the box and completely rely on ourselves since we're going to be a completely self-contained unit. What they gave us was absolutely mission essential." 

As with any mission, the captains expect a lot of challenges during their deployment. But both men note that's the reason they volunteered. 

"Our 'new' students may often outrank us and they certainly won't be native English speakers and we aren't by any means fluent Arabic speakers," added Captain Milligan. "I think those issues combined with flying in a hostile environment will be our greatest challenges but challenge is one of the reasons we raised our hands to go." 

"It's always been my dream to fly helicopters in a combat theatre," Captain Werley said. He will also be serving as the UH-1 flight commander while deployed. "This is a big opportunity and I'm proud to be a part of it. We're going to be working with some brave guys not only on the U.S. side but on the Iraqi side as well." 

Both captains will be leaving family and friends behind when they leave for the deployment in the next few days. In addition, both have nearly completed their respective tours at Malmstrom and following the deployment it is likely the pilots will move on to another assignment. 

"This deployment provides an outstanding opportunity for Captains Milligan and Werley to serve their country in a different capacity, executing meaningful work with a sense of purpose, and making a tremendous difference along the way," Colonel Thomas said. "I'm confident they will represent their country, the Air Force, the 341st Space Wing and the 40th Helicopter Squadron in an outstanding manner. Their selfless attitudes and willingness to sacrifice cannot help but have a positive impact on 40th Helicopter Squadron crew force morale and sends the message our helicopter crew members are an active part of the war on terror, both at home and abroad."