Expeditionary Rivet Joint Unit Reaches 10,000 Sorties

p, .ExternalClass The 763rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron earlier this month completed its 10,000th sortie in Southwest Asia since it began flying in the region some 23 years ago, announced officials associated with the unit. The squadron, which operates RC-135 electronic eavesdropping airplanes from an undisclosed air base, has been a continuous presence in Southwest Asia over that span, supporting coalition troops in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. The squadron hit the milestone sortie on April 10, according to a release five days later from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the squadron’s host organization. “The job we do gets people home safely,” said Lt. Col. Brian Lebeck, 763rd ERS director of operations. “If we can do that for one or two soldiers on the ground, that makes all the difference in the world,” he added. The squadron’s RC-135 flights average about 10 hours in duration, according to the release. (379th AEW report by SSgt. Joel Mease)