Range Squadron to manage 77,000 square miles of airspace

By Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky, 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published May 13, 2020

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U.S. Air Force Col. David Skalicky, the 354th Operations Group commander, and Lt. Col. Russell Reese, the 354th Range Squadron (RANS) commander, view a clamshell radar in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC) near Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, May 6, 2020. The 354th RANS is dedicated to modernizing the JPARC infrastructure and to provide necessary training aids to hone warfighter skills. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

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U.S. Air Force Col. David Skalicky, the 354th Operations Group commander, and Lt. Col. Russell Reese, the 354th Range Squadron (RANS) commander, pose for a photo with the 354th RANS guidon in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC) near Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, May 6, 2020. The 354th RANS was activated May 13, 2020, and its mission is to provide expansive airspace coupled with a world-class bombing and electronic warfare range for joint and coalition partner training while enhancing and modernizing the JPARC for the future warfighter. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

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The guidon of the 354th Range Squadron (RANS) is displayed at the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC) near Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, May 6, 2020. The 354th RANS was activated May 13, 2020, and signifies the increased prominence of the JPARC as a venue for high-end air combat training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, --

In the spring of 2019, the 354th Operations Group, Detachment 4 was established with the plan to eventually grow the unit into its own squadron.

The 354th Fighter Wing activated the 354th Range Squadron on May 13, 2020, to increase the prominence of the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex as a venue for high-end air combat training.

“With the arrival of the F-35[A Lightning II] at Eielson and the growing number of coalition partners buying fifth-gen aircraft, there is a need to improve airspace and range capabilities to allow pilots of these aircraft the ability to practice and refine their tactics, techniques and procedures,” said Lt. Col. Russell Reese, the 354th RANS commander. “The range squadron is dedicated to modernizing the range infrastructure to provide the necessary training aids to hone these warfighter skills.”

The 354th RANS is the U.S. Air Force’s manager of the JPARC, the largest over-land range in the Department of Defense and will work with partners at nearby Fort Wainwright to ensure it continues to be a valuable resource for all those who use it.

“In coordination with our Army partners on the range, we aim to provide expansive airspace coupled with a world-class bombing and electronic warfare range for joint and coalition partner training while enhancing and modernizing the JPARC for the future warfighter,” said Reese.

The squadron will act as a centralized location for units to address training infrastructure concerns in the JPARC.

“Activating the range squadron is a huge step not just for Eielson but for the entire Air Force,” said Col. David Skalicky, the 354th Operations Group commander. “As we bring new capabilities online, especially here at Eielson, having the appropriate range to train on and having the type of systems we have to train with is key to being able to train for the future fight.”

Reese expressed eagerness to start leading the recently activated squadron.

“I am excited to lead a very diverse group of military, civilian, and contractor personnel,” said Reese. “Their professionalism and dedication to the mission impresses me each day as they continue to modernize the JPARC’s range and airspace enterprise.”

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