Flight Engineer Marks a Thousand

MSgt. Anthony Acciani, an EC-130H Compass Call flight engineer, flew his 1,000th career sortie May 7 during a mission over Iraq. Acciani, a 21-year Air Force veteran, is deployed from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., with the 43rd Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron. Serving initially as an F-16 crew chief, he made the switch to flight engineer 14 years ago, training first in the now-retired C-141 cargo aircraft. “My first sortie was the beginning of something that is pretty special to me,” he said. Since he transitioned to the EC-130H, he has flown more than 200 combat sorties. (386th AEW report by Capt. Jason McCree)