Homecoming: Beale Airmen return from final MC-12W deployment

by Staff Sgt. Jeffrey M. Schultze
9th Reconnaissance WIng Public Affairs

10/14/2015 -  Beale Air Force Base, Calif. -- Beale Air Force Base welcomed back airmen from the 427th and 306th Reconnaissance Squadrons after they completed the final Operation Enduring Freedom deployment to Afghanistan of the MC-12W Liberty on Oct. 13.

This was the final MC-12W deployment from Beale and the MC-12W aircrew will be transitioning into new airframes throughout the Air Force.

"It's my third deployment in three years here with the MC-12W ¬-- third one, last one," said Capt. Michael, an MC-12W pilot. "It feels really great to be home."
The squadron members spent the last six months supporting wartime operations such as combat sorties.

The MC-12W is a medium-altitude manned aircraft. The primary mission is providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support directly to ground forces. During the deployment, the airmen flew combat missions with Army aviators on a daily basis. They conducted support for more than 2,500 combat missions and completed more than 8,000 combat hours.

During its tenure the MC-12W program amassed more than 400,000 combat hours, over 79,000 combat sorties, eliminated more than 8,000 enemy combatants and saved countless coalition forces.

"The MC-12 is an extraordinary story of the ingenuity of Americans," said Col. Douglas Lee, 9th Reconnaissance Wing commander. "They took an off-the-shelf King Air 350, installed some incredibly modernized ISR equipment and then they turned it loose in combat with young men and women who supported troops on the ground on a daily basis."