United States Air Force Major Ed Mangahas served with the 524th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW) as an F-16 pilot on multiple operations during 2001, 2002-2003 and 2009 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). In this July 2010 interview, Maj Mangahas discusses the typical Air Force deployment cycle, some of the challenges for an F-16 pilot on combat missions with the US Army, and when it really hit home that what he did had a direct impact on Soldiers on the ground. Maj Mangahas concludes his interview with the observation, "I was volunteering my time over on the Balad Air Base hospital on this last deployment. . . I remember being outside helping them as these four Soldiers were brought in. I stayed there and it was actually three US Soldiers and one Iraqi interpreter. All four died that day. It really opened up my eyes. . . It all hit me when I was there and I remember the realities and the sacrifices that our Soldiers make during these operations."

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