Three air traffic controllers and two airfield management personnel from the 39th Operations Squadron here recently deployed to lend support to Operation Odyssey Dawn, March 24, 2011.

Senior Master Sergeant Rodney Wilson, Technical Sergeants Jade Barnett and Richard Berry and Staff Sergeants Carla Plummer and Donald Mills are supporting the operation by coalition forces to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 to protect Libyan people from the country's ruler, Muammar Qadhafi.

"Having supported numerous operations since my initial enlistment, this opportunity to perform my job supporting the mission is once again a highlight," said Wilson. "At Incirlik [Air Base] we get to support the warfighter downrange with our heavy lift aircraft; Operation Odyssey Dawn will once again allow me to work different airframes meeting the goals and objectives of the United Nations resolution."

Operation Odyssey Dawn was established to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, which calls for the protection of Libyan civilians from Qadhafi regime forces and authorizes a no-fly zone over Libya.

"The controllers at Incirlik are 'always ready' and trained to support any tasking that comes down," Wilson added.

This was evident when the members from the 39th Operations Squadron (OS) were in place at Aviano Air Base, Italy, with only 24-hour notification for the commencement of operations on March 19, according to Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Wolford, the 39th OS commander.

The individuals were tasked to deploy from Incirlik to increase the number of personnel at the 31st Operations Support Squadron at Aviano to support the 24-hours a day, seven days a week operations, said the 39th OS commander.

Our airmen will perform runway checks and assess airfield operations, said Major Doug Miller, the 39th OS director of operations.

Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of UNSCR 1973. UNSCR 1973 authorized all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya under threat of attack by Qadhafi regime forces.