Nomads prove readiness during week-long exercise

  • Published
  • By Chrissy Cuttita
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  This week's Operation Noble Eagle exercise proves Nomads of the 33rd Fighter Wing are ready and able to respond, with a sense of urgency, anytime and anywhere to support in our nation's defense.

"F-15s will be on alert, ready to scramble and launch against air threats to a simulated no fly zone that is established in support of Homeland Defense," said Lt. Col. David McClanahan, 33rd FW chief of plans and programs whose office plans exercises and evaluates the wing's performance. "We relate our employment exercises to anticipated taskings. The F-15 is an air superiority asset for America, so we're practicing homeland defense missions."

Having Nomads ready to scramble an aircraft quickly during the 24-hour work day, in an environment with increased security measures makes the exercise feel authentic.

"A scramble is an alert launch where pilots and maintainers are on standby to immediately dash out to the airplanes and get airborne as soon as safely possible," said Colonel McClanahan. "They can do this in five to seven minutes. We have an alert facility where they can sleep, eat and be ready at all times to be scrambled. Jets are set up so they can be more quickly started and ready for takeoff."

Wing planners and exercise evaluation team members create plans and scenarios that provide an accurate replication of real world deployment order to the wing from higher headquarters.

"Once the order is received, we configure the aircraft with fuel and munitions required for the mission and conduct pre-flight inspections," said Senior Master Sgt. Jay Mason, 58th Aircraft maintenance unit superintendant. "Once all required actions are complete, the aircraft is considered 'on-status' for any tasking. We are prepared to fill any and all required aircraft taskings."

During a real ONE mission, Nomads could shadow, intercept, escort, and provide aid or, if necessary, use force to protect North America. To intercept, pilots need to see and identify the aircraft. Having a Civil Air Patrol-owned Cessna 206 and Cessna 337 in the airspace during this week's exercise will provide the opportunity to do just that.

Nomad pilots must intercept the CAP low-flying aircraft in the simulated "no-fly" zone.

"We want to give them as much realism as possible," said Capt. Grant Meadows, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Florida's CAP wing.

The 33rd FW will practice procedures for actual scramble launches.

"The pilots and maintainers will be alerted by a horn," said Colonel McClanahan. "They will dash to their jets and start them as quickly as possible. We've coordinated with air traffic control to get them launched into the air quickly as well."

Weapons loaders will also have jets prepared to "fire" by going through all of the motions hands-on as if they were loading live missiles.

"The process of preparing and launching an alert sortie is a little different than normal and must be done in a very short amount of time," said Maj. Jonathan Bland, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. "The exercise gives our maintainers a chance to become more comfortable with that process and improve our speed so that we will be in top shape when called for a real mission."

Team Eglin also participates in creating the exercise environment by supporting with security forces personnel, airfield support, and air traffic control.

"Maintaining air superiority takes more than pilots in airplanes, it takes lots of maintenance personnel, planners, communications specialists, and command/control personnel," said Colonel McClanahan. "We have to practice working together so it's flawless when we're tasked to do the real thing. Practice keeps our intricate air defense machine functioning seamlessly."

Once the end of exercise is declared the colonel's office will prepare an exercise report that is distributed to all participants. Excellent achievements and areas that need improvement will be noticed. Outstanding performers will be named and Nomads will have successfully honed their war fighting skills necessary to maintain air superiority in defense of America.