About 40 Airmen of the Delaware Air Guard head to Southwest Asia starting this weekend in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Published April 25, 2013 By 030413 NEW CASTLE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Delaware -- About 40 Delaware Air National Guardsmen from the 166th Airlift Wing head to the Southwest Asia combat zone in departures this Sunday morning, April 28, and Monday morning, April 29, to serve for two months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. They are part of a continuing unit mission that began in late February to the same undisclosed location. Around two dozen Airmen will depart each day and travel aboard unit C-130H model transport aircraft taking off from the New Castle ANG Base. There will be a scheduled swap-out of some Airmen and aircraft currently at the deployed air base in Southwest Asia, with a number of Airmen returning home. The deploying Airmen are from two groups in the 166th Airlift Wing; the 166th Operations Group, which includes all C-130 aircrew and other Airmen with various support functions, and the 166th Maintenance Group, which includes crews who maintain and repair the aircraft. They will operate under U.S. Air Force Central Command, and are prepared to operate anywhere in USCENTCOM's 20-nation area of responsibility. 166th Airlift Wing Commander Col. Mike Feeley said, "Our Airmen will seamlessly step in and continue the great work our aircrews and maintainers have been doing so well the last couple months to support our warfighters." The Delaware ANG has 1,100 members, and continually deploys personnel and subordinate units around the globe. This release is in the public domain, and any part may be used as written. Delaware Air National Guard: Celebrating 67 years of Citizen-Airman service to our state and nation, 1946-2013 - 30 -