The “Scorpions” of the 603rd Air Control Squadron from Aviano AB, Italy, are coordinating air support for coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan. Since deploying to Kandahar Air Base earlier in January, 86 members of the 603rd have been using radars to provide command and control of all aircraft flying over Afghanistan. Preparing for this deployment took eight months for the unit, which comprises career fields from radar controllers to civil engineers to vehicle maintenance and intelligence, and which is “always in the deployment bucket,” reports Air Force journalist SrA. Sarah Gregory.
Air Force Chief of Staff Kenneth S. Wilsbach is allowing Airmen to wear unit pride T-shirts on Fridays and aircrew to wear nametags with their callsigns daily. The morale-boosting gesture is one of his first official acts as Chief and comes at a time when the Pentagon is cracking down…


