2009/09/17:Cap Times: Fighter wing from Madison headed to Iraq again

Fighter wing from Madison headed to Iraq again
The Capital Times
Bill Novak | Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2009 11:00 am | No Comments Posted

Madison's fighter pilots and support staff are heading to Iraq once again.

The 115th fighter wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard will start heading out Thursday night for a two-month-long deployment to support Operation Iraqi Freedom's ground forces, according to a release from the Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard.

This is the fourth deployment of the aviation package of the wing to the region, the first coming in December 2004 to Qatar, the second in June 2006 to Iraq and the third in January 2008, also to Iraq.

About 200 members of the 115th will be deployed to Iraq, including pilots, aircraft maintenance specialists and support personnel.

Families and friends are expected to take part in two send-offs for those going to Iraq. The first is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, and the second send-off is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, both at the guard's headquarters at 2400 Wright St. in Madison.

The send-offs are not open to the public.

The F-16 fighter jets will depart from Madison's Truax Field at Dane County Regional Airport early next week between midnight and 6 a.m., so residents living near the airport should be aware of jet noise during the early morning hours.

The take-off times of the eight F-16s are correlated to specific arrival times at their destinations, according to the release.

With the 200 heading to Iraq, about 300 members of the 115th fighter wing will now be deployed around the world. The wing has a total of 1,200 full-time and part-time personnel.