'Lancers' head to New York

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  The 333rd Fighter Squadron and Aircraft Maintenance Unit are taking their training on the road to participate in a Surface Attack Tactics Deploying at Wheeler-Sack Army Air Field, Fort Drum, N.Y., Aug. 6-11.

The students assigned to the 333rd FS, one of two F-15E Strike Eagle training squadrons here, have spent the last eight months learning how to fly the airplane, employ it in an air-to-air arena and employ it in the air-to-ground arena.

"The sorties our students will fly in New York provide them the opportunity to employ the F-15E in its entire capacity," said Capt. Heron Weidner, 333rd FS weapons system operator instructor. "They've also been exposed to only F-15E adversaries. These sorties will incorporate fighting their way into a target area, destroying the target and then defending their egress from the target area; while also providing them dissimilar adversaries by working with a New York Air National Guard F15C Fighting Falcon unit."

Many locations were considered before the decision was made for the unit to conduct thier training in New York.

"After considering multiple locations for our deployment, Fort Drum provided the best balance of airfield facilities, training airspace and ranges and fiscal priorities with minimal impact on our support to the air and space expeditionary force and operational readiness inspection," Colonel O'Donnell said. "The combination of training airspace and the air-to-ground range co-located with Fort Drum and Wheeler-Sack AAF is unique to the U.S. East Coast. We hope our deployment will lay the foundation for future similar training exercises working with the 10th Mountain Division, 20th ASOS and northeastern U.S. ANG units."

Nearly 200 Airmen will deploy to New York to support this training where aircrews with instructor pilots and weapon systems officers to train the students on SAT --the most complex missions with challenging targets, realistic threats and joint, total force training.

"We will employ more than 100 full scale guided and unguided munitions while working with the 20th Air Support Operations Squadron, 174th Fighter Wing Air-Ground Gunnery Range, F-15C air superiority fighters from the Massachusetts Air National Guard and KC-135 Air Refueling aircraft from the 911th Air Refueling Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB.," said Lt. Col. Jefferson O'Donnell, 333rd FS commander. "For our students, these missions are the culminating events in an intense, eight-month formal syllabus preparing them to fly, fight and win in support of Combatant Commander's objectives around the world."

This is the first time these student F-15E pilots and WSOs have participated in a training exercise of this magnitude.

"(They will gain) a healthy understanding of the F-15E's full capabilities as well as a respect for how much there is to train for and study in order to surgically and safely employ the platform," Captain Weidner said. "But we also honestly want them to have fun and hopefully start to expand their comfort level for operating in a new and challenging environment."

Training with other organizations and in a variety of locations exposes instructors and students to the planning, coordination and integration characteristic of today's and future combat operations.

"Within one year after graduation, the majority of our students will deploy in support of operations around the world, requiring them to acclimate to a different environment and execute their mission flawlessly while integrating with civilian and military personnel from the US and international governments," Colonel O'Donnell said. "Some of them may even support forces from the 10th Mountain Division and 20th ASOS, executing Close Air Support operations in Iraq or Afghanistan--the very individuals with whom they train on our SAT Deployment."

The aircrew members realize that this training would not happen without the help of all of the Airmen in the unit who fill support roles.

"We are thankful for the efforts of the maintenance and support group teams who have helped make this temporary duty assignment possible," Captain Weidner said. "We are also really excited about this TDY to a location we have not been to before. This deployment is the first one of its kind for the 4th FW to New York and the first time we have operated out of an Army base. It's sure to provide some good lessons."