According to Air
Force Capt. Jonathan Songer, coalition forces simply “can’t get enough” of the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle. Songer, who currently commands the Predator launch and recovery element in Afghanistan, says the Predators finds improvised explosive devices and insurgents getting ready to fire rockets and tells coalition forces preparing for a raid what route to take and which window to enter. Songer and his team maintain the Predators in theater and get them into the air (and back down), passing control during a mission to operators back at Nellis AFB, Nev.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
