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Senior Airman Mark Porter re-enlists over Iraq
in a ceremony performed by Maj. Mark Weber.
Airman
Re-enlists Over Iraq
During the early morning hours of May 10, in the cloudless sky high above Iraq, Senior Airman Mark Porter reenlisted in the Air Force for another four-year tour-of-duty.
Major Mark Weber conducted the ceremony while Porter was on an operational mission, performing his in-flight duties.
The Iowa native is a Communications System Technician aboard the E-8C, Joint STARS. He is assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing's 12th Airborne Command and Control Squadron.
Porter has flown more than 180 combat hours during his two tours, supporting operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He also has logged more than 600 total flying hours.
As a CST, Porter is responsible for ensuring the flight and mission crews aboard the E-8C have full access to the aircraft's multiple radios and satellite communications systems.
Keeping these communication systems working properly is critical to the Joint STARS mission. Crewmembers use the systems to communicate with a variety of combat resources to include airborne fighter and attack aircraft; ground forces from the Army and Marines; and the Combined Air Operations Center.
U.S. and coalition commanders in the Combined Air Operations Center use the near real-time information from Joint STARS and other platforms to make time critical decisions regarding the war on terrorism.
Editor's note: This story was written by Lt. Col. Kelly Noler of the 116th Air Control Wing Public Affairs Office and appeared in the July issue of the 116th ACW publication Eye in the Sky. | 