Raptors usher in new era for Air Force Reserve

by Master Sgt. Chance C. Babin
Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs

8/10/2007 - ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- When six F-22 Raptors arrived here Aug. 8 from Langley AFB, Va., they brought a new day for the Air Force Reserve Command.

The command's 477th Fighter Group will associate with the 3rd Wing, becoming the first Air Force Reserve unit to maintain and fly the F-22 Raptor. The group will be comprised of the 302nd Fighter Squadron, 477th Maintenance Squadron and 477th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

"Today is the beginning of a new chapter in the Air Force Reserve, flying the newest fighter in the Air Force and teaming up with the first Reserve F-22 permanent-basing in Pacific Air Forces. This is a chance for the Reserve to be relevant in the fighter world for the next 50 years," said Col. Eric Overturf, 477th FG commander.

To be involved with the F-22 so early is something Lt. General John A. Bradley, chief of the Air Force Reserve, said he would have never imagined three years ago.

"It is brand new and exciting to have the Reserve invited to participate in this mission with Pacific Air Forces. It's gratifying," said General Bradley.

He believes Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force chief of staff, and Gen. Paul V. Hester, PACAF commander, asked the Air Force Reserve to be a part of the F-22 mission in Alaska because the command's 76,000 Citizen Airmen have done so well in supporting the Air Force in the last few years.

"They (the generals) know that we have been an important part of the Air Force," he said. "We're deploying, we're doing our Air Expeditionary Force business right beside them, and we've done it well."

The men and women of the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf are gaining a longtime partner with the new Reserve associate unit.

"Airmen here at Elmendorf are no strangers to new aircraft or missions," said Col. Thomas Tinsley, 3rd Wing commander. "The major difference here this time is we are teamed with our unrivaled wingmen, the Reserve. These professional Airmen will be integrated in every part of the F-22 operations and bring total force integration to a new level."

Colonel Overturf says it's an honor to be the 477th FG's first commander.

"The proud Airmen of the 3rd Wing and 477th Fighter Group team are one Air Force sharing the same fight," Colonel Overturf said. "That means that when you walk the flightline at Elmendorf you will not differentiate reservists and Regular Air Force Airmen. You will witness a Total Force team, seamlessly integrated and working together to build the best air supremacy wing in the world."

The 477th FG will officially stand up Oct. 1. Today it has an initial cadre of about 25 people and will add about 100 people in the next year or two. The group will eventually build to about 425 part-time and full-time reservists by 2010.

General Bradley said getting on board with the F-22 mission was his top priority as chief of Air Force Reserve.

"This is the biggest deal in my term as Chief of the Air Force Reserve," General Bradley said.

"We do a lot of important things for our Air Force," he said. "I hate to pick and choose. Everything we do is important. Every Airman we have is important. Every mission we do is important. But this is really going to be a high visibility mission."

In addition to Alaska, the Air Reserve Force will have F-22 pilots at Tyndall AFB, Fla. They will serve with Regular Air Force and Air National Guard pilots as instructors on the new fighter aircraft.

The 477th Fighter Group and the 302nd Fighter Squadron bring the heritage of the Tuskegee Airmen to the much decorated history of the 3rd Wing.

Colonel Overturf said he feels privileged to start the unit because the Tuskegee Airmen were a group of men who only wanted to serve their country.

"We're going to try to take that same spirit within the 477th FG that we'll carry over from what the Tuskegee Airmen did back inWorld War II," he said. (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)

Source: http://www.afrc.af.mil/newsreleases/sto ... =123064101

A new era in aviation begins in Alaska

Commentary by Lt. Gen. Douglas M. Fraser
Commander of Alaskan Command

8/10/2007 - ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) -- An exciting time has begun at Elmendorf Air Force Base as we welcome the newest, most revolutionary, most talked about air dominance fighter in the history of aviation.

The F-22 Raptor soon will be a common sight in the sky above Alaska, protecting America and the Pacific Theater. With its arrival, our Air Force is more capable than ever of fighting and winning our nation's battles.

As American Airmen, we take our Alaskan heritage and history seriously. We remember the words of one of our most visionary forefathers, Billy Mitchell, who said, "I believe that, in the future, whoever holds Alaska will hold the world. I think it is the most important, strategic place in the world."

These words couldn't be more appropriate in a summer that has seen the arrival of the F-22 as well as the most advanced global-reach asset in our Air Force, the C-17 Globemaster III.

History has also taught us that we cannot successfully fight tomorrow's wars by training to fight today's enemy. The war on terrorism has challenged our Air Force in combat with an enemy that uses crude tactics and primitive technology. Who would have guessed 20 years ago we'd have Airmen riding horses into battle in the 21st century? But that's exactly what we did in the opening days of the conflict in Afghanistan. We met the threat head on, and we succeeded.

It's important to note that as the fight with our current enemy grabs all the headlines, the nature of warfare is constantly evolving on several fronts. We cannot afford to lose sight of the fact that we may be called upon to battle an enemy whose technology and skills more closely mirror our own, and we may have to counter both types of threats simultaneously.

When that time comes, Air Force leaders don't want a fair fight. We want overwhelming air dominance that makes the fight patently unfair to the other guy. The F-22 is designed for just that: Total air dominance for decades to come.

The F-22 is proving its mettle right now at five bases across the country. With nearly 100 delivered, we're seeing exactly what this aircraft is made of and only scratching the surface of what it can do. Last year in Alaska it flew 97 percent of scheduled sorties during Exercise Northern Edge 2006. This year during its debut in the Air Force's premier air combat exercise, Red Flag, 100 percent of planned sorties were successfully generated while the F-22 scored 100 percent direct hits with its air to ground weapons.

The F-22's unique combination of stealth, speed, agility, precision and situational awareness combined with air-to-ground and air-to-air combat capabilities makes it the best overall fighter in the world.

And while the success and statistics associated with the F-22's performance are convincing of its value, it's important to note that this machine is worthless without the truly remarkable Airmen who fly and maintain it. The men and women of your United States Air Force are dedicated, selfless and determined to see that this great country is always protected. Now your Airmen in Alaska have received the most advanced air dominance fighter in existence to enable them to meet that commitment to our nation.

We stand ready, on a new frontier, providing America's top cover.

Source: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123064141

[...] If I need them, somewhere deep in the Pacific, Alaska can get there the fastest. If I need them in Europe, they go right across the Pole and jump into Europe. And obviously, in the Mideast, if they're needed there. [...]

Source: http://www.ktva.com/topstory/ci_6577156