Eielson combines host, tenant wings for ground-breaking ORE

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. William Farrow
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  History was made at Eielson as the 354th Fighter Wing and the 168th Air Refueling Wing combined efforts for an Operational Readiness Exercise Oct. 11-14.

The 354th FW, with more than 2,500 active duty Airmen is the host unit at Eielson and the 168th ARW is a tenant unit consisting of more than 500 Air Guardsmen.

Eielson is transforming its mission to meet today's new and emerging threats.

Although the men and women of both wings performed a significant portion of their duties "separately," Lt. Col. Derek Dill, 354th FW Inspector General said he feels both wings are moving closer to the Air Force's Total Force Integration concept.

"While we certainly identified areas to target for continued improvement, this endeavor was a resounding success from start to finish," Colonel Dill said. "The mere act of planning such an event is an example of total force integration in its own right," he said.

Colonel Dill said planners and evaluators from both wings joined forces weeks in advance to develop an exercise that would challenge the wings to come together as never before in order to execute a common mission set.

Colonel Dill said the hard work and leadership of his counterparts at the168th ARW, Maj. Stephanie Rowland and Master Sgt. Keith Henrys, were instrumental in bringing the two Exercise Evaluation Teams together to function as one.

With the stage set, Colonel Dill said a wartime scenario unfolded that challenged the wings to coordinate efforts on a multitude of issues and leadership from both wings came together and made real-time course corrections that produced immediate results.

Currently Eielson plays a strategic role in the Air Force's Future Total Force plan since the 354th FW mission has changed. In 2005 the Department of Defense proposed a major realignment of the base as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program.

Since then, Eielson's A-10 aircraft have been redistributed throughout the Air Force inventory and the operationally ready 18th Fighter Squadron converted to the 18th Aggressor Squadron, a non-operational training unit for Red Flag Alaska and other exercises.

One constant for Eielson is the value of its strategic location, and although the base has seen many missions come and go over the years, the use of Eielson as an air bridge linking U.S. airpower to the Pacific region remains unchanged.

The KC-135 air refueling mission originally began at Eielson with the Strategic Air Command Tanker Task Force in the early 1960's said 354th FW historian Don Fenton.
He said the 168th ARW assumed responsibility of the tanker mission in the mid 1980s.

"The Air Force has always recognized that aircraft traveling across the northern hemisphere will require aerial refueling and tankers here, active duty or Guard, have fulfilled that mission requirement for nearly a half century," Mr. Fenton said.

The recent changes at Eielson have offered the base an opportunity to take advantage of TFI initiatives for the sturdy missions like the air bridge and providing combat ready Airmen who can deploy anywhere in the world at a moment's notice.

"Eielson is critical to the effective execution of future Red Flag-Alaska joint and coalition readiness exercises, but equally important is the installation's role in support of global contingency operations" Colonel Dill said.

"As both wings continue cooperative efforts to work as a team for that mission, we should see Eielson become a showcase for TFI operations," he said.

During the four day-long exercise personnel from both wings were evaluated on their ability to protect base infrastructure, prepare equipment and personnel for deployment, receive aircraft carrying inbound forces and cargo and generate KC-135 sorties in support of the air bridge.