And Air National Guard units have embraced those missions. The colonel said this deployment was the unit s first under the AEF, but it s not the first time its members have been here. The unit is tasked for a 90-day deployment and has to balance training and service member s civilian job commitments. Most ANG members fill traditional positions, which require them to complete duty one weekend a month and two weeks per year. The colonel said the training his people receive from flying missions in Europe could only make the unit stronger and better rounded.
Training is also important to the active-duty component.
Later, it turned out, they needed me to fill a crew position. Thornton said Perez-Cantu is the youngest navigator he brought here to fly with the unit. The squadron experienced a shortage of qualified navigators before it deployed here. Thornton said he had to leave some experienced navigators behind because of school requirements, temporary medical disqualifications or to train new navigators about to graduate from the basic C-130 school. Perez-Cantu said by the time he returns to Little Rock AFB, he ll have more experience in Europe and Southwest Asia than he ll have at home station.