Tyndall enters Phase II of exercise

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Christopher Reel
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  As Tyndall enters day three of the base exercise, the mission will shift from deployment preparation and departure to employing the aircraft and personnel at a simulated deployed location.

During Phase II of the exercise, Aug. 13 to 15, Team Tyndall will test capabilities of projecting combat air power as if in a deployed arena.

With the 95th Fighter Squadron meeting its initial operational capability in April 2014, the wing continues to complete tasks to get the 95th FS to full operational capability.

This next-level of capability means the entire squadron would be capable of deploying to support national security objectives with the F-22 Raptor, the most advanced operational fighter in the world, if called upon.

"The 95th FS is new to Tyndall, and the combat is new to the wing," said Lt. Col. Jeremy Durtschi, 325th Fighter Wing inspector general. "We need to be ready to go, and we have to exercise like we are going to fight. We've created a realistic scenario to stress our processes and Airmen to find areas in which we excel and, possibly, where we need to improve.

"This exercise will help us be ready so when the combat commander calls we are prepared to project combat air power anywhere in the world at a moment's notice," added Durtschi.

Tyndall has always performed exercises in the past, such as emergency response and hurricane exercises. However, this is the first time since the reactivation of the 95th FS that Tyndall has performed a deployment exercise, which tests Team Tyndall's ability to project combat power.

"It took a year's worth of preparation and many steps to assemble an exercise of this magnitude," Durtschi said. "This is the largest exercise and a first for Tyndall as it tests the greatest amount of personnel, equipment and aircraft."

Tyndall members have been working around the clock to prepare for the mock deployment.

"During the deployment portion of the exercise, personnel, aircraft and support equipment were prepared for the simulated departure," said Frank LaBroad, 325th Fighter Wing chief of exercise planning. "During the employment phase, personnel will simulate landing at the 'deployed' location and operate the equipment and aircraft they have prepared at the beginning of the week."

This second half of the week is focused on the actual deployment.

"We will employ those F-22s in simulated missions against adversaries and training like we would fight as if we were in a real deployed location," Durtschi said.

With this second phase of the exercise, Bay County residents may observe later flights departing Tyndall and hear exercise alarm messages played on the giant voice broadcasting system as the base continues 24-hour operations.

"The effect to those off base should be minimal," LaBroad said.

Tyndall and the 95th FS are a component of Air Combat Command, therefore exercising with a focus on the operations side of the base, the pilots, aircraft and the maintenance personnel, as well as the deployment machine, the logisticians, those who are at the home station and are there to get the personnel into the notional theatre is essential for mission success.

ACC is the primary force provider of combat airpower to America's warfighting commands. To support the global implementation of national security strategy, ACC operates fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, battle-management and electronic-combat aircraft.

It also provides command, control, communications and intelligence systems, and conducts global information operations. As a force provider, ACC organizes, trains, equips and maintains combat-ready forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime air defense.

"As the 95th approaches full operational capability, it is important we continue to prepare the base and squadron to be ready for our combat mission," Durtschi said. "Exercises such as the one this week, tests and strengthens our abilities to complete our mission. We could not be successful without the great partnership with Bay County and the support and they provide our Airmen."

Tyndall is home to the largest fleet of F-22 Raptors in the world. The mission of the 325th Fighter Wing is to train and project unrivaled combat power.