Families of 14FS see off their loved ones for OIF

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Vann Miller
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AB, Japan --  Friends and family said their final farewells to loved ones, as servicemembers departed from the Air Mobility Command passenger terminal in the early-morning hours this week here at Misawa Air Base.

"I am anxious to help out," said Capt. Patrick Pearson, a pilot with the 14th Fighter Squadron. "I'm excited to practice what I am trained to do."

As part of the Air and Space Expeditionary Force, the Airmen are deploying primarily from the 14th Fighter Squadron and 35th Maintenance Squadron to southwest Asia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

For some servicemembers, including Captain Pearson, this operation marked a first-time deployment.

Outside of the mission, Capt. Pearson said his primary concern was making sure his home life was in order. Over the next few months more than 400 Airmen will join in the fight to support operations in Iraq. Leaders here said that the families of the deploying Airmen will be well taken care of while they are away doing their part in the fight on the Global War on Terrorism.

"I think there is an excellent support system here," said Noel Pearson prior to her husband's deployment. She said her plan was to serve as a readiness assistant volunteer to help some of the other wives deal with the deployment. "Within our squadron our spouses are a tight group. We knew this was going to happen. We were planning for it and preparing for it - we just let each other know that we would be there."

To prepare servicemembers and their families for the deployment, various organizations around the base came together to talk about what life would be like as a deployed family.

Col. Cedric George helped organize a town hall meeting to meet that very goal prior to the deployment. "We are a family," Colonel George said. "It's more than just generating aircraft for the 35th Fighter Wing mission. It is taking care of this family of maintainers."

The town hall meeting and other services around Misawa Air Base served to provide families, and the Airmen they support, the peace of mind of knowing the base will watch over them.

The members of the current AEF deployment are scheduled to return some time in May.