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Doing it for the love of the mission

Guard Airmen commute from all over to be part of the 116th ASOS

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As a kid growing up in South Dakota, Tech. Sgt. Tavis Delaney loved military aircraft.
There wasn't a speck of wall in his bedroom that wasn't covered by a poster of an aircraft.
"I was infatuated," Delaney said.  
Years later, that love still burns strong. Delaney, now a joint terminal attack controller with the Washington Air National Guard's 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, loves the job so much he commutes from his home in Copperopolis, Calif., (about 120 miles east of San Francisco) to Camp Murray each month to fulfill his commitment to the squadron.
"It's a great organization," the technical sergeant said of his unit.
After a three-year stint in the active duty Army serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga., Delaney met a JTAC on a deployment and got to talking to the Airman about what the job entailed. Immediately, he was hooked. After separating from the Army in 2006, Delaney joined the Air Guard and started researching what JTAC units he could join.
"I had always heard the best JTAC unit in the Guard was the 116th ASOS in Washington," said Delaney, who works full-time at Beale Air Force Base as a contractor training aircrews about how to work with JTACs on the battlefield. "I spent a year at another JTAC unit, and then I joined the 116th. It was everything I was told it was going to be."
There are several Airmen in the unit that live in different states outside Washington, some commuting from as far away as Hawaii.
"Sure, it would be a lot easier if it was only a two-hour drive away, but it's worth it," said Senior Airman Michael McCaffrey, who lives about 15 minutes outside Beale AFB and works - and serves - with Delaney.
McCaffrey joined the Guard just weeks after turning 18 years old. Initially a Security Forces Guardsman, McCaffrey decided to cross-train into the JTAC career field after deciding he wanted a position that got him closer to the front lines of the battlefield.
"Everyone in the unit is committed to the job and loves to train together," said McCaffrey, a Las Vegas, Nev., native who was nominated for a Bronze Star with Valor after the unit's most recent deployment.
While both Guard Airmen are getting to pursue what they love to do, it does however come at a cost to their loved ones. Between flying out for training requirements, drill weekends and deployments, there are times Delaney sees more of his fellow Airmen than his wife and young son.
"It's difficult to maintain a healthy family life," Delaney said. "(My wife) has sacrificed a lot. She loves me and has my back no matter what. It's very taxing and tough on her, but she's happy because I'm happy. But we're still trying to find that balance with everything."
The 116th's rich diversity and experience sets it apart from its active duty counterparts, according to squadron leadership. Members of the 116th transferred from different military services, work full time in a variety of professions and travel from all over the U.S. to be part of the elite unit.
 "The fact that we have long-term members of the unit who live outside Washington state and are willing to fly here for drill weekend training at their own expense speaks volumes about the dedication of the 116th members to the mission," said Lt. Col. Jeremey Horn, 194th Air Support Operations Group deputy commander.

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