Next deployment set for Seymour Johnson as new year begins
By Turner Walston
Published in News on December 14, 2005 1:55 PM
About 480 airmen from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base will leave in January for southwest Asia when their numbers come up as part of the Air Expeditionary Force deployment cycle.
Airmen who are part of Air Expeditionary Forces 9 and 10 will spend about 120 days in the region in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
The Air Expeditionary Force system splits the Air Force into assignments, and works on a 20-month cycle.
"The main purpose is to provide airmen some stability and some prior knowledge of when they're going to deploy," said Capt. Allen Herritage of 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs.
Jets from the 336th Fighter Squadron will be deployed as the lead unit.
"In total, it's about 480 airmen, between aircrew and support assets," Herritage said. In addition to jets and pilots, security forces, maintainers and civil engineers will be sent.
In May, the cycle begins again. As Air Expeditionary Forces 9 and 10 return home, airmen from Air Expeditionary Forces 1 and 2 will deploy, including more from Seymour Johnson. Jets from the 335th Fighter Squadron will deploy at that time as well.
"We don't know how many we're going to be sending for that one, but it's going to be a larger number," Herritage said.