Should the USAF begin a NEO of civilian families from Incirlik AFB in Turkey?

LTC Stephen Conway — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 19:24:45 -0400

Recently, there have been a string of suicide bombings at cities nearby the Turkish AFB and we have been there since 1955. American families live on base and non-combat evacuation operation (NEO) is appropriate at this time. It would be a good idea to allow more USAF personnel from additional A-10 squadrons and other special ops units from NATO nations to set up a logistics forward base there.
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Response by SFC William Farrell made Mar 20 at 2016 10:42 PM

SFC William Farrell — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 22:42:26 -0400

It seems like the whole world is going to hell LTC Stephen Conway, we keep this up and we wont be overseas anymore!

Response by Col Joseph Lenertz made Mar 21 at 2016 12:34 PM

Col Joseph Lenertz — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 12:34:00 -0400

Yes...once you're on base lock-down with no foreseeable timeline to open it back up, there's no reason to keep families there at risk. Turkey has changed since 2001, the last time I was there. Even then, the movement toward Islamism and away from a multicultural society had begun to take root. I no longer see it as the country of Ataturk's vision, with a leg in the East but reaching to the West. I no longer trust the Turkish military to defend Incirlik or the Americans there.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2016 11:23 AM

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 11:23:45 -0400

NEO is a war-time response ... I think this is just wise choice to get the dependents out of a potential harm's way situation. I can't think of anything good that can happen in this day and age. Not "The Lik" I was assigned to in 1982!

Response by SSgt Kenderric Callens made Mar 22 at 2016 6:07 PM

SSgt Kenderric Callens — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 18:07:59 -0400

Was there from '11-'13. The army and a few of our NATO brethren have already set up shop there. They threatened us with NEO evacs but never went through with it. The steps that they are taking now with not allowing it to be an accompanied tour has taken care of the dependents safety. Families have the option of leaving if they want to on the AF's dime, but return on their own (which I think they have changed to not able to return at all). Most families should be home or in Ramstein at this moment heading home. The relationship we have and the primary mission at there makes it so that there is no active flying mission there (Google Araxos, Greece and USAF during the Spring of 2001). They are scared of a reoccurrence of this.

Response by Capt Joseph Olson made Mar 22 at 2016 7:45 PM

Capt Joseph Olson — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 19:45:43 -0400

Bring in a battalion of Army infantry to defend the Housing Area. Or send them home.