Approximately 275 airmen with the 188th Fighter Wing

Approximately 275 airmen with the 188th Fighter Wing departed Fort Smith, Ark., July 2, for Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The airmen will be deployed approximately three months. The personnel, who departed July 2, joined a group of approximately 75 airmen with the 188th already deployed to Afghanistan to supplement the Baltimore-based 175th Wing's portion of the Air Expeditionary Forces rotation. An additional 20 airmen with the 188th deployed to Afghanistan one week prior to the main body as part of an advance team that prepared for the arrival of the larger group. In total, the 188th deployed approximately 375 airmen to Afghanistan during this AEF rotation.