Treats VIPs To Stellar Tour Of SAR Facility
Moody Air Force Base, home of the
347th Rescue Wing and the only active duty combat-search-and-rescue
wing in the US Air Force, pulled out all stops April 26 for a
visiting group of civic leaders.
The Joint Civilian Orientation Conference is a weeklong tour of
military installations for top civic and community leaders from
across the United States. The tour highlights the latest US
military equipment and technology and acquaints civilian leaders
with the missions and personnel of America's armed forces.
At Moody, JCOC participants not only learned firsthand about
some of the most advanced air-power platforms in the world by the
men and women who operate them, but were able to see and
participate in demonstrations of their power and capabilities.
Moody's training programs take raw recruits and set them on a
path to flying some of the most advanced warplanes in America's
arsenal. The base is also home to Air Force Special Operations
Command, which is responsible for the readiness of Air Force
special operations forces deployed worldwide.
The day began with a demonstration of the speed and agility of
the Air Force's primary flight trainer, the T-6A Texan II. To the
driving beat of rock music and DJ-styled Air Force announcer 1st
Lt. Mike Gosma -- the "Voice of the Texan II" -- JCOC participants
watched in awe as the plane swooped, dived and executed precision
360-degree barrel rolls just minutes after takeoff.
The Texan II can climb to 18,000 feet in less than six minutes
and land in less than 2,000 feet of runway. It is also a highly
efficient aircraft that can fly more than 800 miles on one tank of
fuel. The feature is a great aid to training student pilots, as the
ability to repeat maneuvers over and over is crucial in the
training arena, Gosma said.
He also noted the aircraft's avionics are state-of-the-art. More
than 200 new Air Force pilots are trained each year at Moody,
officials said. After the Texan II, pilots continue to train on
more demanding aircraft such as the T-38 Talon, the T-1A Jayhawk,
the UH-1 Huey helicopter, and the T-44 Pegasus, which is flown in
joint training with the Navy.
The air show, performed by the East Coast Demonstration Team,
was designed to give the JCOC participants some insight into the
capabilities of the T-6A as well as the maneuvers all students
learn in pilot training.
"The responsiveness, simplicity, endurance and cockpit comfort
of the Texan II enables it to do its job efficiently and
effectively," Gosma said, "giving our country the most respected
military pilots in the world. It is a superb training
platform."
In addition to the heart-pumping air show performance, JCOC
participants got to see and inspect some other stars in the Air
Force inventory, including many that are winning the war on terror
in Afghanistan and Iraq.
On display at the airfield were a B-2 Spirit and B-1B Lancer,
both bombers; an F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force's newest aircraft and
the first stealth, supersonic fighter in the world; F-15E Strike
Eagle fighter jets; an AC-130 gunship and A-10 Thunderbolt II, both
used for close-air support of ground forces; and an E-3 Sentry
airborne warning and control system aircraft. Some, like the B-1,
were flown in especially for the JCOC visit.
Later in the day, JCOC participants scrambled into open vehicles
for a true-to-life demonstration that eerily echoed the daily news.
As the convoy slowed down to contend with a vehicle stopped in the
road -- a common tactic used by insurgents in Iraq -- the "enemy"
took advantage and initiated an attack detonating two improvised
explosive devices, followed by small-arms fire.
Security forces immediately engaged and suppressed the enemy
while another security vehicle positioned itself to become a
"sweeping element" to clear and destroy the enemy. Other
vehicles deployed to secure the non-attack side of the area, while
troops deployed brightly colored smoke to conceal their movements
as the area was swept for other insurgents. Five "enemy combatants"
were killed, several wounded, and two captured in the simulated
attack.
Another demonstration involving special operations forces
simulated the seizure of a strategic airfield in enemy territory.
Complicating the mission was a small enemy force in the vicinity of
the targeted airfield.
The simulation included impressive maneuvers involving an MC-130
Combat Talon II aircraft, which is used for special operations
missions; an MH-53 Pave Low helicopter; and an F-15; as well as a
quick-reaction special operations unit, combat controllers,
pararescuemen, air refueling, and other demonstrations of Air Force
weapons systems and capabilities.
"Way up on the 'wow meter,'" was the way JCOC participant
William Young put it.
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.16.24)
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