By By Robbie Byrd
News Editor
Tucked away in the piney woods of northwest Louisiana, the daughter of an Atmore woman, at first glance, seems to be far removed from the effects of September 11. But even though she may be nearly 2,000 miles away from ground zero and thousands of miles farther from the battlefields in Afghanistan, she has become one of the prime players in the war against terrorism dubbed "Enduring Freedom."
Air Force civilian employee Sharen Watson, daughter of Beatrice Ephraim of Atmore, is stationed with the 2nd Bomb Wing, the main B-52 bomber unit actively engaged in the air campaign in Afghanistan. Her role in "Enduring Freedom," is that of an information manager.
The main aircraft Watson and her unit rely on in the war against terrorism is the B-52, an aircraft that turns 50 this April. With air campaigns that span every major conflict since 1952, including Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm, the B-52 has proven its worth on the battlefield time and time again.
Today, the 2nd Bomb Wing and its long-range bombers prove to be a major force behind the waning threat of the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces. The bulk of the B-52s over Afghanistan are flown by units from Barksdale.
The importance of the bomb wing and the B-52 has not been lost on Watson.