Airmen here use the RQ-11B Raven, a small unmanned aircraft equipped with cameras, sensors and communications tools, to give coalition warfighters an advantage of eyes in the sky.

There are many different types of unmanned aircraft, ranging in size and capability, but Kirkuk Regional Air Base Airmen operate the Raven-B that weighs only 4.2 pounds, has a 55 inch wingspan and measures 3 feet in length.

Its operators said they believe its unimpressive dimensions feed a common misconception.

"People think it's a Styrofoam plane," said Master Sgt. Bryon Griffin, the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Raven-B NCO in charge deployed from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. "They think it's something you throw up in the air. Then it crashes and falls apart. But it's actually an innovative, technological aircraft that prevents people from getting injured outside the wire because we can provide the same footage and coverage from an aerial view instead of having personnel on the ground."

The aircraft is remotely piloted by a mission operator and vehicle operator who work side-by-side to coordinate on what they are seeing and where the vehicle needs to fly.

"They are like the pilot and navigator," said Tech. Sgt. Ricardo De La Cruz, a 506th ESFS Raven-B trainer deployed from Patrick AFB. "The mission operator has a laptop computer system and acts as the navigator. He coordinates with the tower about the course the UAV will take and when it will fly for airspace purposes. The vehicle operator is the one who actually drives the aircraft."

The mission operator is able to track the aircraft on his laptop, which is indicated by a triangular shape blip on the screen. This small type unmanned aircraft is then used to perform critical missions in reconnaissance, surveillance, positive target identification and battle damage assessment both inside and outside the wire.

"Picture every single time something happens you have to send individuals outside the wire to assess the situation," Sergeant De La Cruz said. "This scenario poses a potential hazard to those individuals. But if we are able to launch the UAV from inside the wire and get the same information from an aerial view brought back to us in less time it takes people to mobilize a unit, that is huge. The unit would have to drive through the city very cautiously, but the UAV could just fly right over the area and get the same information."

Sergeant Griffin agreed. "Not only does it save lives and reduce the risk of people getting injured, but also you still get the same footage, same surveillance, same area coverage, and you do it a lot quicker and a little more in detail," he said.

The unique capability this device brings to the mission is one reason why Sergeant Griffin said he enjoys what he does so much.

"This is something new for me as far as being a security forces guy doing ground pounding day to day," he said. "This gives me a better overall outlook on why we do what we do, and this UAV is just another tool we use as (security forces) members to keep the mission up. It's a force multiplier and enhancer as far as base security."

Sergeant De La Cruz said he is just happy to play a part in keeping his fellow servicemembers out of harm's way.

"We are all here together, and we all want to leave together," he said. "It's that total team concept, so if I can help out my team this way than I am definitely all for it."