The backbone of the Magnolia Militia
By By Craig Ziemba / guest columnist
April 20, 2003
One of the amazing things about being in theatre is watching the incredible teamwork of effort required to prosecute an air war. The sheer number of aircraft that the United States brings to the region is a logistical marvel.
Twenty-four hours a day for weeks on end, a steady stream of jets travels what we call the "Parkway," a corridor leading to and from Iraq, their lights resembling east/west traffic on an interstate.
The world has witnessed the shock and awe of the systematic dismantling of Saddam Hussein's regime with fewer civilian casualties than in any other war in history. Praise for our airplanes, our technology, and our effectiveness has been abundant, and rightfully so.
Amid all of the attention given to jets in the sky, though, there's a whole side of the team that gets no press. Every airplane that engages the enemy, that drops paratroopers behind enemy lines, that refuels low state fighters so they can make it back to the ship, is held together by a team of mechanics and crew chiefs that make it all possible.
From the moment a jet lands until its next launch of the day, crew chiefs race against the clock to fuel it, fix it and make sure it's ready to go again. There's no time for complacency and no room for error. This is an unforgiving business where mistakes are likely to be catastrophic. Our lives are literally in their hands.
We haven't had any embedded reporters on the flight line this month. They're all at the front watching the end result. But I wish just once the folks at home could see the dedication and professionalism of the guys on the ground, especially our boys from the 186th.
They look tired, and are usually splattered with fuel and oil, but they stand tall and take more pride in their jets than any other crews on this base.
Things have been so fast and furious here that we pilots have been flying jets from all the other units, both active duty and Guard. I can honestly say that the best jets on this ramp all have Mississippi painted on the tails. And I can't help but puff up a little when I overhear active duty pilots look at the schedule and say, "All right, we've got a Meridian jet tonight."
The performance of our crew chiefs and mechanics here overseas is all the more impressive when you think of the atmosphere these guys are operating in right now. For months, we peons who fix and fly the planes and actually do the mission have watched the reputation of our unit dragged through the mud. The entire wing has been smeared by the actions of a few to the point that the sacrifices and contributions of most patriotic Guardsmen have gone unnoticed.
The Magnolia Militia's performance in this war has been nothing short of awesome, and it stands as a testimony to the professionalism and dedication of the rank and file. As I saluted Andy Vance while I taxied by on my last flight, the last line of a poem came to mind:
Craig Ziemba is a pilot who lives in Meridian. He writes this week from overseas.
