Airmen returning to Kingsley Field after deployment in Iraq

KINGSLEY FIELD, Ore. – 15 airmen based out of Kinsley Field in Klamath County are headed home from Iraq.

The members of the 173^rd Fighter Wing will be officially demobilized after their six-month deployment during a special ceremony Friday morning at the base theater.

“Every one of these folks was a volunteer; when you go back to our roots as the guard and the militia, it’s that same spirit of volunteerism that you see, all of these people wanted to be there,” said Capt. Alex Fugate, who was in charge of the deployed contingent.

The 15 airmen were assigned to the 270^th Air Traffic Control Squadron. Normally, they’re responsible for air traffic control at Kingsley Field, just south of Klamath Falls. However, during their deployment, they helped at the Al Asad Air Base, the busiest airfield in Iraq.