Page 18 - Desert Lightning News, So. AZ Edition, Dec. 1 2017

18 December 2017 Desert Lightning News
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214th Reconnaissance Group
Mission: Provide superior, persistent armed intelligence, surveillance and re- connaissance, and incident awareness, and assessment capabilities to support, and defend national, regional and state interests.
Vision: Charting the course today for tomorrow’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and incident awareness and assessment.
Description: The 214th RG, also
known as “The Black Sheep,” is com-
posed of two squadrons: the 214th Reconnaissance Squadron and the 214th Operations Support Squadron. The unit employs 188 full- and part-time military personnel and 20 civilian personnel. The unit cur- rently operates one 24/7/365 RPA orbit, with the capability to surge additional orbits when tasked.
Slogan: “Our eyes save lives.”
924th Maintenance Squadron
Mission: To maintain aircraft to facili- tate the training, education and mentor- ing of the world’s finest attack pilots for the Combat Air Forces. To further develop the leaders, wingmen, and warriors at all ranks to meet the challenges of leading our ser- vice today, and into our future while con- tinuing to support Total Force Integration.
Vision: Provide maintenance support to
A-10 formal training units and host mainte-
nance squadrons to produce A-10C student training sorties.
Description: Provides superior maintenance to the unit-equipped 28 A-10C aircraft supporting the 47th FS’s formal training unit that conducts training for pilot initial qualification, transition and instruc- tor qualification in the A-10C as well as three test aircraft for the Air National Guard / Air Force Reserve Command Test and Training Center and Air Force Materiel Command’s 40th Flight Test Squadron Operating Location Alpha. The unit is both actively and classically as- sociated with the 355th FW. The unit is authorized full- and part-time maintenance positions and also has 40 active-duty maintainers on the team. The average maintenance experience for personnel assigned to the unit is 10 years. Full-time or air reserve technician maintainers have integrated into the squadrons of the 355th MXG and are current- ly working in more than 20 Air Force specialty codes. The 924th MXS provides highly qualified and trained maintenance personnel sharing resources (aircraft/tools/vehicles, etc.) with its host, the 355th FW.
47th Fighter Squadron
Mission: To train, educate, and mentor the world’s finest attack pilots for the Combat Air Forces while honing the core competencies of A/OA-10 instruction, operations management and aircrew life support. To develop leaders, wingmen and warriors in all ranks to meet the challenges of leading our service today and into the future.
Description: The squadron is a unit-equipped 24 primary aerospace ve- hicle authorized A-10C aircraft squadron that conducts training for pilot initial qualification, transition and instructor qualification in the A-10C at Davis-Monthan AFB. The 47th both actively and classically associates with the 355th FW. The 47th FS currently has 55 Airmen comprised of full-time Air Reserve technicians, part-time traditional reservists, regular Air Force members and civilians.
History: Activated Dec. 1, 1940, as the 47th Pursuit Squadron, assigned to the 15th Pursuit Group at Wheeler Field, Hawaii. On Oct. 1, 2013, the 917th FG and the 47th deactivated. On March 1, 2014, the 47th stood up again as an Air Force Reserve A-10 formal training unit under the 924th FG at D-M AFB, as part of the 944th FW.
68th Rescue Squadron
(Guardian Angel Formal
Training Unit)
Mission: To instruct and train pararescuemen
and Combat Rescue Officers providing advanced
skill upgrades and proficiency training in order to meet combat capability requirements and enhance integration with joint combat forces in support of joint force commander and combatant commander taskings.
Composition: The organizational structure mirrors traditional Guard- ian Angel squadrons and consists of combat rescue officers, pararescuemen and combat support personnel.
History: TheinitialcommissioningwasJune4,2014,atDavis-Monthan as the 68th Rescue Flight. The 68th Rescue Squadron was recommissioned June 1, 2017, at D-M. Since its inception, the 68th RQS has trained many PJs and CROs and bestowed hundreds of upgrades across several MAJCOMs in support of operations, humanitarian relief operations, and direct medi- cal and rescue support to the President of the United States.
12th Air Force
Mission: Enable combat-ready forces for rapid global employment; and receive, command and control, and employ joint air component assets to meet U.S. strategic objectives in the USSOUTH- COM area of responsibility, across the full spec- trum of operations.
Description: Responsible for the combat readiness of seven active-duty wings and one direct reporting unit. These subordinate commands oper- ate more than 360 aircraft with more than 20,300 uniformed and civilian Airmen. The command is also responsible for the operational readiness of 17 12th Air Force-gained wings and other units of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. As the air and space component to U.S. Southern Command, Air Forces Southern conduct security cooperation and pro- vide air, space and cyberspace capabilities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Leadership
Commander: Lt. Gen. Mark Kelly
Vice commander: Col. David Lyons
Command chief: Chief Master Sgt. Alexander Del Valle
305th Rescue Squadron
Mission: Trained and equipped to conduct combat
search and rescue missions worldwide utilizing the HH-
60G “Pavehawk” helicopter. Our primary mission is to
penetrate enemy territory, recover downed aircrew and
return them to friendly forces. Additionally, we fly life-
and-death search and rescue missions to help locate and
recover injured people within the land and coastal boundaries of the United States.
Vision: To be prepared to conduct CSAR missions anywhere in the world at any time.
Members: This is a Reserve unit that has 46 authorized positions, of which there are 12 full-time personnel and 34 part-time traditional reservists.
MISSION UPDATE