Profiles of the B-1: Weapons systems officer

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jarad A. Denton
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  As the B-1B Lancer flies toward its target, the pilot is guided by the navigational information provided by the in-flight weapons systems officer.

Weapons systems officers undergo extensive training to prepare them for the responsibility of ensuring the bombs dropped by the B-1 are put on target, as well as monitoring the defensive capabilities of the aircraft.

"I feel proud to serve my country, as well as serve coalition forces on the ground," said Capt. Keith O'Halloran, 37th Bomb Squadron in-garrison flight commander and WSO. "I allow others to come home from their deployment alive."

In addition to dropping bombs, the B-1 supports ground forces in combat through the employment of close air support. WSOs also integrate with the B-1 pilots to collectively achieve and maintain crew efficiency, situational awareness and mission effectiveness.

"Today, the B-1's primary mission is to provide CAS to ground forces," said Colonel William Eldridge, 28th Operations Group commander. "The success of each CAS engagement heavily depends on the crew's ability to coordinate simultaneously with ground forces and with each other; B-1 WSOs play a pivotal role in that coordination."

According to Captain O'Halloran, CAS provides firepower from aircraft, like the B-1, at critical points during ground missions.

By carrying the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the B-1 is able to ensure the safety of coalition forces on the ground while maintaining its role as the backbone of America's long-range bomber force.

Although the B-1 has been flying since October 1984, it has only been supporting combat operations since its missions over Iraq during Operation Desert Fox in December 1998. Since then, the B-1 has been fitted with numerous upgrades and advancements that have improved the accuracy and defensive capabilities of the aircraft.

These upgrades have assisted Captain O'Halloran in numerous missions and training operations. WSOs are able to utilize various training tools such as actual B-1 flights to a simulator able to be programmed with a wide range of scenarios faced during combat operations.

"Like every B-1 WSO, Captain O'Halloran has mastered hundreds of hours of training that make him an expert across the spectrum of B-1 missions," said Colonel Eldridge. "His training never stops, especially as the Air Force adds new capabilities to the B-1 fleet, such as a targeting pod, a data link, and new displays."

During one of those missions Captain O'Halloran said he could literally hear the gunfire over the radio. The B-1 was tasked to fly a "show of presence" mission over the location of the firefight, which means it flew low enough over hostile forces to cause a brief cease fire.

"We were able to suppress the firefight long enough that medical personnel could come in and extract the individuals wounded in action," Captain O'Halloran said.

Another incident where the B-1 was able to assist U.S. ground forces came during a firefight between hostile forces and an Army Special Forces team. The small team was pinned down by a large number of enemy forces.

According to Captain O'Halloran, "they realized they were in a bad situation and probably wouldn't make it out of the situation unless they called in air support."

The B-1 was given the coordinates of the hostile forces from the joint terminal attack controllers. They flew CAS, dropping bombs precisely on the enemy forces. The B-1's role in the mission provided the JTACs enough time to get to safety.

"I'm proud of the sacrifices our Airmen make defending America," Colonel Eldridge said. "No doubt, Airmen like Captain O'Halloran will look back with pride on his service during this critical time in our nation's history."

The rigorous training done by WSOs allows them to execute mission objectives flawlessly and ensure the protection of coalition forces, Captain O'Halloran said. Every training sortie flown or simulator hour logged is another opportunity to improve the skills necessary to save lives in actual combat.

Throughout its time in service, the B-1 has continued to prove itself time and time again during combat operations. Its ability to deliver precision strikes anywhere in the world at any time has made it one of the most widely used aircraft in the Air Force arsenal. Those capabilities are augmented by the skill and dedication of WSOs like Captain O'Halloran.