Altus boosts Canadian FAC training

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Clinton Atkins
  • 97 Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Altus AFB provided Canadian Forces personnel with ground support Nov. 24 to Dec. 8 for forward air controller training at Fort Sill Falcon Bombing Range, Okla. - a first-time support role for Altus AFB.

The 425th Tactical Fighter Squadron from Bagotville in Quebec, Canada, and Altus AFB devised the partnership due the base's proximity to Fort Sill - an approximate three minute flight - allowing the Canadian Army and Air Force extended training time. The Canadian Forces previously operated out of Naval Air Station Fort Worth, Texas.

While at Altus AFB, the 425 TFS used six CF-18s and 80 personnel for training at Fort Sill, which are fewer resources than when they flew out of NAS Forth Worth, according to Lt. Col. Jonathan Tamblyn, 97th Operational Support Squadron director of operations.

"When [the Canadians] flew out of NAS Fort Worth, they required tanker support," he said. "The legs, from takeoff to the range and back, were too long for the capacity of the CF-18. So coming out of Altus they don't need to use a tanker. So there's no need to deploy a Canadian tanker, there's no need for the fighters who are orbiting overhead to take time off from the training to go back and do the refueling that they would require."

Since the ranges are about 50 miles away from the base it reduces the personnel and equipment needed to get the job down, which translates into millions of U.S. dollars saved, said the colonel.

Although the new support role is new to Altus AFB, the 97th Air Mobility Wing met the challenge head on providing them with all the support the needed.

"The 97th Mission Support Squadron and 97th Operational Group were pivotal in the support of the Canadian Forces training mission," said Lt. Col. Derek Oliver, 97 MSG deputy commander. "The Canadian Forces used capabilities of ours such as aircraft refueling, transportation, communication support, control tower and radar approach control. With Altus AFB providing the support, it allows the Canadians to only worry about their training.

"The Canadian visit really showed our ability to adapt to different scenarios," he said. "We have robust facilities and world-class Airmen."

Since the arrangement enhances the 97 AMW and 425 TFS mission capabilities, the future of the partnership looks promising.

"Here it's awesome," said Canadian Air Force Captain Taylor Evans. "We're about a three-minute flight to the range, we take off and we're there right away, we do our work and then we come back here and it works out really well.

"Looks like we're coming back in March - that's what our plan is," he said.

The 425 TFS has been training at Fort Sill Since 2006 and is part of a 10-week training course for their forward air controllers - U.S. Air Force joint terminal attack controller equivalents.