Page 1 - Desert Lightning News, Nellis-Creech AFB Edition, March 9, 2018
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vol. 2, no. 5  Serving Southern Nevada’s military community, including Nellis, Creech and NTTR                                                                                                 march 9, 2018

                        An Aerotech news And review publicAtion • www.Aerotechnews.com

MQ-9Sunsetting tRheeMaQ-p1 Pererdamtor:eets demand

by Senior Airman James Thompson                                                                                                          Air Force photograph by Senior Airman James Thompson  Airmen continued supporting the local
                                                                                                                                                                                               training missions at Creech and provided
Creech AFB, Nev.                             An Airman assigned to the 432nd Maintenance Squadron performs post-flight checks                                                                  maintenance support to downrange
                                             on an MQ-1 Predator Feb. 2, 2018, at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. The MQ-1 served as a                                                             operations.
   With the retirement of the MQ-1           premier Remotely Piloted Aircraft for combatant commanders and coalition partners
Predator on the horizon, MQ-9 Reapers        for more than 20 years and is scheduled to officially retire March 9, 2018, at Creech AFB.                                                           “It [preserving history] gives me a
were successfully transferred via flight                                                                                                                                                       chance to explain how I used to work on
from one combat operation to another         in London, where visitors will learn       and MQ-9 crew chief with the 432nd                                                                     this aircraft to my family when I see it in
within the U.S. Central Command area         about the aircrafts’ achievements and      Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. “We                                                                     a museum one day,” said Jonathan. “It’s
of responsibility for the first time.        contributions.                             started making progress and now have                                                                   a bittersweet feeling, having worked on
                                                                                        the final MQ-1 flight scheduled to take                                                                this aircraft the majority of my career.”
   In January, Airmen facilitated the           “Back in 2015, we coordinated with      place in March.”
flight of MQ-9s from Operation Inherent      Air Combat Command and came up                                                                                                                       The MQ-1 began as just an innovative
Resolve to Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.     with a game plan to demilitarize the          Predators were demilitarized before                                                                 thought, but proved to be an effective
                                             aircraft,” said Staff Sgt. Jonathan, MQ-1  the scheduled shipment date, while                                                                     and desired asset thanks to the efforts of
   As aircrews seamlessly continue to                                                                                                                                                          Airmen who supported its mission set.
provide dominant, persistent attack and
reconnaissance capabilities to meet war                                                                                                                                                           The two MQ-1s from Creech are
front demands with the MQ-9, MQ-1s                                                                                                                                                             marked with the tail numbers 03-3119
enter the transition phase out of active                                                                                                                                                       and 03-3120, and have an estimated 14
inventory.                                                                                                                                                                                     years of service in the Air Force. During
                                                                                                                                                                                               that time, aircrews recorded approxi-
   When the Air Force determines to re-                                                                                                                                                        mately 22,800 flight hours and 1,500
tire an aircraft, it goes through a screen-                                                                                                                                                    sorties in support of combat operations
ing process outlined in the Defense                                                                                                                                                            and local training missions.
Materiel Disposition Manual. In the case
of the MQ-1, officials are still executing                                                                                                                                                        The aircrew who flew them made key
that process and are working with other                                                                                                                                                        contributions to U.S. and coalition ef-
agencies to determine configurations and                                                                                                                                                       forts while active.
quantity for a possible transfer.
                                                                                                                                                                                                  “It is sad that the MQ-1 Predator is
   There are a number of possibilities of                                                                                                                                                      sunsetting, but we are excited for the
where retired MQ-1s could go, including                                                                                                                                                        new era of flying the MQ-9 Reaper,” said
U.S. and coalition museums.                                                                                                                                                                    Capt. Fred, MQ-1 pilot. “I am so proud
                                                                                                                                                                                               of the missions we’ve accomplished and
   Currently, Creech Airmen have                                                                                                                                                               the lives we’ve saved.”
transported one MQ-1 to the American
Air Museum in Duxford, England, and                                                                                                                                                               Editor’s note: This article is part two of
another to the Royal Air Force Museum                                                                                                                                                          a four-part series.

Air Force photograph by Senior Airman James Thompson  Air Force photograph by Senior Airman James Thompson  BOTTOM RIGHT: Airman 1st Class Chase and Senior Airman
                                                                                                            Nathan, both avionics specialists assigned to the 432nd Aircraft
                                                                                                            Maintenance Squadron, remove the Primary Control Module
                                                                                                            from an MQ-1 Predator, which is its central point of processing
                                                                                                            for all aircraft functions Nov. 30, 2017, at Creech Air Force Base,
                                                                                                            Nev. Airmen with the 432nd Maintenance Group demilitarized
                                                                                                            a few MQ-1s in their inventory before they were dispersed to
                                                                                                            England, where they’ll be displayed in museums.
                                                                                                            BOTTOM LEFT: Airman 1st Class Chase, 432nd Aircraft
                                                                                                            Maintenance Squadron avionics specialist works on an MQ-1
                                                                                                            Predator during its demilitarization Nov. 30, 2017, at Creech
                                                                                                            Air Force Base, Nev. As a standard practice, Airmen retain all
                                                                                                            salvageable parts during the process in an effort to save U.S.
                                                                                                            tax dollars and ensure the aircraft is safe for public display.

INSIDE: News – 2-5; Veterans – 6; Hometown Heroes – 8; Community – 12; Nellis Living – 16
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