3rd Wing redeploys from Southwest Asia

by Air Force 1st Lt. Matthew Chism
JBER Public Affairs

10/21/2013 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – The 3rd Wing’s 525th Fighter Squadron deployed to the Central Command area of responsibility to relieve its sister squadron, the 90th Fighter Squadron, also located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The swap-out of fifth generation aircraft took place after five months of supporting combat operations in Southwest Asia.

Air Force Lt. Col. Nicholas Reed, 90th FS Commander, said though a unit replacing itself is uncommon, 3rd Wing units are well prepared to do so.

“We train for this,” Reed said. “Part of our capability is to be able to move at a moment’s notice into not necessarily a robust environment and immediately start performing our mission. A lot of times, it makes it easier if you are working with a sister squadron.”
Flying is readily associated with providing air dominance for good reason. But the work of maintenance crews is just as crucial to deployed success.

While deployed, the maintainers averaged a 96 percent pass rate in the Expeditionary Maintenance Group’s Quality Assurance Program. The QA program tracks maintenance performance against metrics to improve efficiency, production and reliability. The unit’s “Outstanding” effort, as rated by the expeditionary group, culminated with the 90th Aircraft Maintenance Unit winning 12 expeditionary maintenance awards.

“The maintainers did an amazing job,” said Air Force Capt. Ron Poe, 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Operations Officer. “They demonstrated through execution; now they can bring that level of competency back to the unit.”

Maintenance units focus on the readiness of the aircraft to fly – the health of the fleet – Poe said, adding that the awards are excellent indicator the unit is accomplishing its core function.

“By performing outstanding maintenance, we’re providing a better product to our operators so they can do their mission,” Poe added. “It’s a daily focus of keeping the mission in mind. Through effective scheduling and a strong focus on operator safety, you’re able to improve the health of the fleet.”

More than 150 Airmen and civilians from JBER deployed to Southwest Asia with the 525th and the 90th fighter squadrons. This included members from the 3rd Maintenance Group, 3rd Munitions Squadron, 673d Logistics Readiness Squadron, 673d Security Forces Squadron and 477th Fighter Wing.

“Regardless of capability, a 3rd Wing squadron cannot deploy on its own,” said Air Force Col. David Nahom, 3rd Wing commander. “The technical expertise and dedicated support of our Total Force Integration and JBER partners are critical to our mission success.”

This marks the third time in a year an F-22 Raptor unit with maintenance and support personnel from the 3rd Wing has left in support of a Theater Security Package deployment. TSP deployments demonstrate the wing’s continued commitment to security and regional stability, while allowing units to train with international partners. The F-22s compiled more than 90 combat flying hours and 430 combat training missions during the deployment.

“They are very respectful of what the F-22 can do and what it symbolizes,” Reed said. “It symbolizes a huge U.S. presence and care for what is going on in that region.”

“I am extremely proud of the phenomenal job the 3rd Wing team, along with our partners, did while deployed and we are thrilled to have them back home,” Nahom added. “Their hard work and dedicated delivery of combat airpower was essential to the strategic battle space and was highly praised by the CENTCOM commander.”