726th Air Control Squadron set to return from Iraq Published Jan. 16, 2009 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- More than 170 members of the 726th Air Control Squadron are scheduled to return here Jan. 17 following nearly five months of combat duty in Iraq. The air control squadron, along with members of the Puerto Rico and Oregon Air National Guard, return to the United States after completing joint duty in the region as part of a regularly scheduled deployment. The 726th ACS, known by its people as the Hardrock, tackles a wide-spread mission including enemy surveillance and identification, weapons control, joint and combined data-link connectivity, and battle management of offensive and defensive air activities. They monitor the airspace over a battlefield and provide military leaders with a clear and accurate "picture" of the area, allowing military planners to make informed, real-time decisions. The squadron includes people from 27 different Air Force career fields, making it self-sustaining and able to deploy and fully operate without external support or help. During the deployment, the joint active duty and National Guard team was responsible for managing and securing more than 277,000 square miles of Iraqi airspace. The squadron, led by Lt. Col. Bryan "Gator" Gates, oversaw more than 15,000 combat sorties and additional missions that led to the capture of more than 800 insurgents. Known for its extremely high operations tempo, the 726th ACS has deployed over the last four consecutive years in support of the Global War on Terror. Earlier this week, nearly 300 maintenance and support personnel with the 366th Fighter Wing returned to Mountain Home after serving approximately four months at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Approximately 20 jets assigned to the 391st Fighter Squadron here are also due to return in coming days as part of this deployed combat team.