1. 165th Air Support Operations Squadron
Close air support for advancing ground units is often critical in perilous combat
environments like Afghanistan.
The “Battlefield Airmen” of Brunswick’s 165th Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS)
deploy with, advise, and assist joint force commanders in planning, requesting, coordinating and
controlling close air support, reconnaissance, and tactical airlift missions.
Georgia is one of only 14 states that have an Air Guard ASOS. The in-demand 52 tactical air
control parties of Georgia’s 165th ASOS have been deployed multiple times to Iraq and
Afghanistan since 2001. They were even on the ground in Afghanistan during the 48th Infantry
Brigade Combat Team’s most recent deployment – providing a unique example of wartime
interoperability between Georgia Army Guard and Georgia Air Guard forces.
Ten members of the 165 ASOS trained with the 284th ASOS, Kan. Air National Guard the
last few months of 2011 in preparation for 2012 deployments to Afghanistan.
The 165th ASOS also sent the only team to represent either the Air Guard or the Air Force at
the 2011 Leapfest, the largest continuously conducted airborne competition in the world.
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