GAZIANTEP, Turkey -- Nestled within the hills of Turkey just outside Gaziantep, one of the country's largest cities, Patriot missile batteries and tan and green tents pepper a hillside, serving as watch guards over the Turkish-Syrian border.
3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Soldiers from Fort Sill arrived at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, Jan. 4, as part of NATO's commitment to Turkey to augment its air defenses for a cooperative solution to promote regional stability. They stayed on base a couple weeks before about half of the unit made the convoy down the road to set up camp.
A lot of support came from the 39th Air Base Wing to prepare for the mission. From offloading equipment and cargo from 23 C-17 Globemaster III's when the unit arrived to communication support and security, the 39th ABW contributed thousands of man-hours in support of the NATO Patriot endeavor.
When the Soldiers arrived at the site, it was nothing more than a patch of dirt. Now in the cold of winter, fully operational Patriot equipment towers over tents that house various functions.
They have partnered with a lot of people who have been working with them to get the site established.
"The Turkish army has been very accepting and accommodating of us here," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Alarp Gokten, a Turkish translator from the 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron.
"Though we are bare bones at the moment, our missiles are hot and ready to go," added Capt. Leslie Dembeck, B Battery, 3-2nd ADA commander.
Soldiers dug away at the dirt to create walking paths and laid wire for phone lines for communication.
"Seeing the process of the site coming up from scratch to fully operational and almost settled in, has been amazing," Gokten exclaimed.
The Soldiers worked around the clock to ensure everything was ready at a moment's notice. This required constant checks on the Patriot computer systems and generators, even in the middle of the night.
"These guys are working hard, sometimes working 24-hour shifts," said Sgt. 1st Class Mike Demps, noncommissioned office in charge of C Battery. "Right now we still have about half our troops waiting at Incirlik. We're still in the process of getting settled in here."
Though not completely settled in, the Soldiers are more than ready to act. The 3-2nd ADA is here to serve defensive purposes only. They are committed to deterring any threats and defending their NATO partner, said Dembeck.
Though the site is currently in a bare-bones state for living conditions, all basic needs are met and the missile system is fully functional, Dembeck said. Plans are in the works for the rest of the Soldiers to arrive on site soon and more supplies to come in.
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