MEDIA CONTEST: Intelligence saves lives at Balad Air Base

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ACC MEDIA CONTEST --  Collecting information, analyzing it and then sharing may not mean much to most people, but to people fighting a war, it means life or death.

The 20th Operations Support Squadron Intelligence Flight has people deployed to six different locations, including five at Balad Air Base, Iraq, where they provide all of the intelligence needs for the units deployed to Balad 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Maj. John Maneri, 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Intelligence Flight commander. He is the 20th OSS Intelligence Flight commander here.

"Our mission at Balad is to support the wing's combat mission as a whole and flying operations specifically with the most timely and relevant intelligence analysis available," said Capt. Angelina Maguinness, 332nd EOSS Intelligence Flight weapons officer. She is also the weapons officer here.

"We support F-16s, C-130s and Blackhawk helicopters assigned here as well as all the transient C-17s and C-5s that fly in and out of Balad," Maj. Maneri said. "We also work with the office of special investigations and the anti-terrorism force protection personnel to maximize the flow of intelligence and to mitigate the constant threat from mortars and rockets shot at the base."

To do this, intelligence flight Airmen gather and share information.

"One organization may have a piece of information on an insurgent that another unit does not. By pooling our knowledge and resources we're better able to defend the base from insurgent attacks," said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Morehouse, 332nd EOSS Intel Flight NCOIC. He is also the intelligence flight NCOIC here. "Additionally, by briefing Airmen who have a mission off base, whether aircrew, civil engineers or security forces, our Airmen are better able to defend themselves and kill the enemy."

Many people depend on the information the intelligence flight provides, especially ground forces.

"The most import part of us being here is supporting the ground forces around Iraq who are in harm's way every day," Capt. Maguinness said. "Everything we do at Balad is focused on supporting ground forces by bringing the correct airpower effects to bear on the enemy."

Ground forces depend on airpower to gain situational awareness through intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. They also depend on airpower to transport wounded servicemembers to safety and medical treatment, to move equipment and personnel, and to re-supply troops in the field, he said.

A more specific role of the deployed intelligence flight is counter-insurgency.

"In counter-insurgency warfare, you have elements consisting of a few enemies who melt into the populous. They have to be found before they can be fought. To do that, you have to figure out how they fight, who finances them, what their capabilities and intentions are and, most importantly, where they will be next," Sgt. Morehouse said. "We compile this information, analyze it and provide it to unit commanders, who plan and conduct operations to capture or kill them."

State-side training and exercises are very similar to the real-world mission of the intelligence flight in deployed locations, Sgt. Morehouse said. They do intelligence updates, pre-mission briefings, debriefings and writing mission reports as they do state-side.

"The best way to sum up how important intelligence professions are to combat operations is my favorite quote by Gen. Charles Horner, the 9th Air Force commander and U.S. Central Command Air Forces commander at Shaw AFB, S.C., during Operation Desert Storm," Capt. Maguinness said. "Gen. Horner said, 'Everything begins and ends with intelligence. Operations without intelligence is blind. Intelligence without operations is irrelevant.'"