Training flight on AWACS/Honorary Commander
Thursday, April 24th, 2008As an Honorary Commander for the 552d Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, I had the privilege of accompanying
I was honored to fly behind the pilot outbound and inbound on the flight. I observed the simulation of battle between 16 fighter jets as 8 protected a designated air space and 8 posed at the enemy. Some of the things that impressed me were: the honor and respect of all service personnel for others; the training methods that were utilized (e.g., one-on-one instruction, answering questions with questions, praise and reinforcement with praise); dedication to the task to give your best effort; commitment…all seemed to respond as if their tasks were critical to the success of the mission; camaraderie – more than a sense of teamwork…more as if everyone recognized that all need to be successful in order to attain the best results in the warfare; and finally – awareness of the effects of the Air Force effort on other Joint Forces. This was vividly expressed by the Lt Col at the end of the first mission when he expressed concern that the Forces on the ground would be in the trenches if the Air Force timing was not improved.