Mission complete: 726th ACS returns home

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Alyssa C. Wallace
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Close to 200 members of the 726th Air Control Squadron "Hardrocks" returned to MHAFB March 19 after spending more than six months deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation New Dawn.

During their deployment, the squadron became the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, executing operations to further the U.S. military's goal of handing over control of Iraq to its government.

"Our deployment was truly a team effort," said Lt. Col. Trent Carpenter, 726th ACS commander. "A lot of our guys deployed to various sites in Northern Iraq and various countries in Southwest Asia. The deployed Hardrocks did an outstanding job, as well as the Hardrocks back home. We take roughly half the squadron with us on deployments, so the guys back home are still doing the job we normally do, except for with half the people. Kudos to them for maintaining the mission and doing all the things we have to do here at our host wing."

The 726th ACS has been deploying a large portion of its squadron in rotation over the past four years.

While the squadron may not need assistance at their various deployed locations to complete the mission there, the squadron commander stressed that their mission would not have been successful without the support of the Hardrocker's Spouses Group.

"The HSG is essentially the backbone - they kept everyone informed on what was going on and handled various problems," Colonel Carpenter said. "They kept the morale up full-strength -- it was huge to have that. It allows those of us downrange to not to have to worry about things back home."

Kelly Harr, spouse of the 726th's Capt. Bryan Harr, gave birth to a baby girl while her husband was deployed, and says she is thankful to God for placing the HSG in her life to help her get through the emotional time.

"It was really difficult, but God was completely faithful," she said. "I had five people in the delivery room with me and they were amazing. It was an incredible experience. I thought it was going to be bad because he wasn't there, but God made a way.

"The spouses are really wonderful here," she continued. "We each get a key spouse, and they called me all throughout the deployment and were always there if I needed anything. They always had stuff going on, activities to make the time go by faster. If you stay at home it goes by a lot slower than it needs to -- it just makes all the difference in the world to have a core group of people around you, encouraging you."

With hundreds of Hardrocks reunited with family and friends, another group of the 726th gears up to deploy to continue the squadron's ever present mission in theater.

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