Page 1 - Nellis Creech NTTR Bullseye 4-8-16

Vol. 66 No. 14
April 8, 2016

Piecing puzzles together, RPAs provide
crucial CAP capabilities: Flying missions

By Senior Airman Christian Clausen U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christian Clausen

432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — The aircraft is ready to fly,
the ground control stations (GCS) are up and running, and the crews
have been briefed. Now, it’s time to fly the remotely piloted aircraft.

The pilot, sensor operator, and mission intelligence coordinator
(MIC) step into the GCS to prepare for flight, but they’re not alone;
they are joined by other Airmen, each in their respective locations.

With the engines whirring up to speed, the launch and recovery
element (LRE) crew begins launch procedures for aircraft takeoff from
the area of responsibility downrange.

“The launch and recovery element is responsible for conducting
the launches and recoveries of the MQ-1B and MQ-9 aircraft,” said
Tech. Sgt. Kory, 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing NCO in
charge, commander’s action group. “The LRE is located within range
for C-band line-of-sight to conduct its operations in the traffic pattern,
terminal area, and on the airfield. The LRE is responsible to power-up
the aircraft Ku-band satellite terminal and hand the aircraft over to
the mission control element (MCE) crew.”

Aided by line-of-sight ground data terminals downrange, which are

_________________________________ See RPAs, on page 3

Capt. Jonathan, 432nd Wing pilot, right, and Staff Sgt. Matthew, 432nd WG
sensor operator, left, fly a training mission Oct. 13, 2015, at Creech Air Force
Base, Nev. The 432nd Wing conducted 189 weapon strikes in July of 2015
and 249 in August, setting a record for the number of strikes in a month in
support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

Everybody loves Ramos

By Airman 1st Class Nathan Byrnes that there are real-life heroes performing matter how big or small. A hero is some- home on the night of March 25, 2016.
brave acts every day, but what defines what one that people can look up to, and helps “I got off early from work and I was
99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs it really means to be a hero? others regardless of their convenience.
going home to San Diego,” said Ramos. “I
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — There is no exact definition of a hero. Senior Airman Edward Ramos, U. S. was driving on Interstate 15 South and the
What is it to be a hero? When hearing this The truth is that a hero is often simply an Air Force Weapons School command sec- moment I hit my halfway mark, Barstow
word one probably automatically associ- ordinary person in extraordinary circum- tion administrator, displayed the charac- County, is when the accident happen. I
ates it with ‘super’ in front of it or pictures stances who prevails in the end. Heroes teristics of a hero when he was faced with
a caped crusader. One tends to lose sight make a difference in someone’s life, no an extraordinary circumstance driving _________ See RAMOS, on page 6

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