Page 2 - Nellis AFB Bullseye 7-17-15

2 July 17, 2015
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F-35A plays role for first time in USAFWS Integration Phase
By Maj. Tyson K. Wetzel
U.S. Air Force Weapons School
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — The F-35A Light-
ning II achieved another major milestone during the
recent capstone large-force employment event, known
as the U.S. Air Force Weapons School Integration Phase.
Assigned to the 16th Weapons Squadron, two F-
35As executed a wide range of missions from June 8
to 24 — the first time an F-35 has participated in a
WSINT phase.
Although the F-35A is still at least a year away from
reaching initial operational capability — and the first
F-35A Weapons Instructor Course is not scheduled to
start until January 2018 — the F-35A was flown in the
recent Class 15A WSINT to allow students to leverage
the unique capabilities of the aircraft.
Pilots, maintainers and intelligence professionals
from the 16th WPS and the 422nd Test and Evaluation
Squadron ensured the Lightning IIs were ready to fulfill
a multitude of roles, including counter-air, suppression
of enemy air defenses and air interdiction.
The 16th WPS, F-35As also participated in two of the
largest and most complex missions: advanced SEAD
and offensive counter-air. Both of these missions are
I am an American Airman
By Chief Master Sgt. Troie Croft
93rd Air Ground Operations Wing command chief
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga.
— I am an American Airman ... at least
that’s what the Creed says. But what do
I say when people ask what I am; geo-
spatial analyst, intelligence analyst,
command chief, Airman ... you get one answer; I’m a Marine. From
At what point do I stop identifying
with my Air Force Specialty Code, ca-
reer field, or duty position and identify
with my service? For some, I would
say that maybe the answer is rarely,
or never, do we identify as an Airman
when asked, “What are you?” In our short 67 years of existence,
Perhaps that’s due to our technical
roots. The Air Force was created to
have personnel focused on air power
and has been a technical force since the
beginning. We place great emphasis on
career development courses, skill lev-
els, advanced training, and expertise. these are not our most enduring his-
We have entire programs dedicated
to recognizing excellence within our
functional specialties and career field
Bullseye News Staff
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Commentary BULLSEYE
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U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Spangler destroying the radars via internally carried bombs.
Recently, A2/AD missions have increasingly relied on
The second F-35 Lightning II assigned to the U.S. Air Force
Weapons School lands at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Feb. the F-22 Raptor to perform various roles, often saturat-
18. The integration of the F-35 into the syllabus will better ing the F-22 pilots with tasks, potentially hampering
prepare Weapons School students for future conflicts, as mission execution.
well as increase the effectiveness of other combat aircraft.
In Class 15A’s WSINT, the F-35As reduced some of
set against a “near-peer” adversary, which challenges the mission workload for the F-22s, allowing them to
the students with an antiaccess/area denial problem focus on the robust air-to-air presentation from the
or A2/AD. As part of its assigned roles for these mis- 64th Aggressor Squadron, which was augmented by
sions, the F-35A was tasked with locating adversary the 79th Fighter Squadron from Shaw Air Force Base,
surface-to-air missile radars and suppressing those South Carolina. Although many of the F-35A’s sensors,
radars via its advanced electronic warfare capabilities or mission software and sensor fusion capabilities have
not reached maturity, the USAFWS students leveraged
the capabilities, making the entire force package more
lethal and more survivable.
USAFWS expects to continue using the F-35A in
future WSINT phases, in ever-expanding numbers and
in more diverse employment roles. As the F-35A makes
steady progress toward initial operational capability
declaration — and eventually the standup of the F-35
WIC — participation in WSINT and other USAFWS
syllabus events will contribute greatly toward the
maturation of the aircraft and its capabilities. In ad-
dition, future weapons officers will learn to maximize
the aircraft’s lethality as part of a large-force package.
managers wield enormous amounts of an Airman. It enables us to recognize a squadron of fighters can change the
inf luence across the force. We even the impact and importance of history mind of a dictator. We are so good at
have an enlisted rank that represents without being a slave to it. what we do that the Army hasn’t been
the top of our skilled corps — ‘techni- threatened from the air in decades and
cal’ sergeant. And yet, we have this Do we not have proud tradi- countries have buried their aircraft
term — Airman — hanging out there. tions? The combat dining in, Order of rather than fly against us. We truly are
the Sword, fini flights and others dem- America’s sword and shield.
The Marines do not have this prob- onstrate our willingness to serve, our
lem. Ask a Marine what they are and appreciation of great leadership and The F-35, KC-46 and LRS-B point
respect to those whose final flight has to a continued legacy of global vigi-
private to general the answer is the come. We shout our unit battle cries lance, global reach and global power
same. Of course, there is understand- at graduations, promotions and many for America’s Air Force. But these
ably a lot of pride in being a Ma- other celebrations. We are surrounded advancements in technology pale in
rine. They have a rich history, a proud by traditions that we borrowed from comparison to the re-shaping of our
tradition, and are feared in battle. But others and have made our own. But you entire enlisted development, rating and
don’t we have these things too? have to identify yourself as an Airman promotion systems which will ensure
to feel the weight of our history setting our continued success in Air, Space
on your shoulders and to truly experi- and Cyberspace for generations to
have we not developed a rich history? ence our traditions. come. Through change and innovation
Our roots are at the beginning of pow- we will retain our technical prowess,
ered flight. We hunted bandits in the And are we not feared in battle? Our but it will be our bonding as Airmen
Mexican desert, came of age in World rockets roar into space, our unblinking that will enable us to respond to our
War II, airlifted food and supplies to eye of surveillance watches the enemy nation’s call as America’s Air Force.
millions of people, and dominated the and the silence of the nuclear force is
skies from Korea to present day. But, deafening to those who threaten us. Our So, to quote our song, “Here’s a toast
enemies scatter at the sound of our ap- to the host. Of those who love the vast-
torical legacies; that is reserved for proach, we destroy our adversaries with ness of the sky.”
change. Change is at the heart of being pinpoint accuracy and the arrival of
I am an American Airman!
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