May 9, 2007
Moody Air Force Base - The airmen at Moody Air Force Base are no strangers to deployment.
Ask Technical Sergeant David Brown. He's been to deployed seven times. "Getting out there and seeing the difference that we've made. That's what I enjoy," he says.
They've spent years in Northern Iraq, building a bond of trust with the community. And they say their hard work is finally paying off. "That's our big thing, having a good rapport with the community down there and I think that's gotten a lot better over the years," says Staff Sgt Chris Myers.
Brown agrees. "There's a lot of joy out there from the local people who know we are there to help them. Little children waving American flags, real happy to see us."
But now 174 airmen of the 822nd Security Forces are gearing up for another tour of duty, to a place they've never been.
They'll be heading to a new location in Southern Iraq and will draw on their past experience to help improve the country's future. "Our goal is to get the Iraqi's to accept our presence there and our help and try to build their security so they can self officiate themselves," says Senior Airmen Kesha Davis.
It's a mission that won't come easy and could take years. But these airmen are ready to take on the challenge. "We've got a lot to look forward to. We've accomplished a lot as a whole so we're ready for it," she adds.
But they say safety of their fellow airmen is their number one goal. "I expect to bring all my guys home safe," Brown says.
The 822nd Security Forces Squadron is one of three squadrons that make up the 820th Security Forces Group. They rotate deployments year round so a group is constantly working overseas.
The airmen of the 822nd plan to leave early Friday morning and expect to return in six to eight months.
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