SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Multi-capable (MC) Airmen from the 4th Fighter Wing participated in Razor Talon to demonstrate their ability to quickly deploy and operate in austere locations.
“MC Airmen conducted an integrated combat turn in a simulated combat environment at Cherry Point Marine Corp Air Station,” said Lt. Col. Panos Bakogiannis, 4th Fighter Wing, chief of installation readiness and exercises and 414th Fighter Group reservist. Team Seymour demonstrated the ability to provide a forward-operating site presence for refueling and rearming two F-15E Strike Eagles from the 336th Fighter Squadron.
The exercise brought together airmen from Pope Army Airfield, Seymour Johnson and Dover Air Force Base, along with Marines from Camp Lejeune.
“We worked with our joint partners, Marines from 6th Marines Regiment, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, who provided communications from Cherry Point back to our tactical operations center. The 21st Special Tactic Squadron from Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina were out there helping us coordinate air flow and we had support from Dover Air Force Base C-17 Globemaster III that flew us in and out,” said Bakogiannis.
The exercise began with a team of Airmen and Marines boarding a C-17 carrying an R-11 fuel truck, munitions, an MJ-1 lift truck and an all-terrain vehicle. The team simulated flying in a combat zone before landing at Cherry Point.
Upon landing, Airmen from the 4th Security Forces Squadron rapidly set up check points, used all-terrain vehicles to monitor the area and deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle to enhance their standoff capabilities allowing them to survey enemies from further distances. These actions ensure the security of the personnel, munitions and aircraft.
Once the F-15Es landed, Airmen from various Air Force specialty codes loaded munitions and hot-pit refueled two Strike Eagles.
“We had communications Airmen going out with weapons troops to see how to load, we had EOD marshaling jets and we had Security Forces refueling the aircraft; we are pretty diverse,” said Staff Sgt. Bradley Bautista, 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, aircraft armament system technician.
The purpose of Razor Talon is to continue with the multi-capable Airmen concept which is aligned with the Combat Support Wing,” said Bautista. It entailed Airmen from maintenance, security forces, a plethora of AFSC’s that are combining their technical skills together in order to accomplish one goal.
"The performance out there was awesome,” said Bakogiannis. “Our Airmen had great attitudes, they worked hard and they were hungry for the opportunity to demonstrate capabilities. We had great support from wing leadership, especially from maintenance who provided additional safety observers out there just to make sure that everybody was safe and we were getting the right repetitions in.”
The Airmen worked seamlessly to accomplish the exercise’s mission of conducting an integrated combat turn in a simulated combat environment.
“This is the most fun I’ve had, since my deployment,” said Bautista. “It’s cool to have a real world concept of what we do everyday.”