Historic 44th Fighter Group activated at Holloman - F

A monthly report on the F-22 Raptor Program
www.f22-raptor.com
May 2010
Historic 44th Fighter Group activated at Holloman
By Airman 1st Class Sondra Escutia
49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
4/19/2010 - HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE
BASE, N.M. (AFNS) -- The Air Force
Reserve Command’s 44th Fighter
Group officially stood up here April
9 with an activation ceremony and
passing of the historic group’s guidon.
The 44th Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron and 301st Fighter Squadron
were activated also during the
ceremony as part of the fighter group.
Maj. Gen. Frank Padilla, 10th Air
Force commander, presided over the
ceremony. He addressed Holloman’s
new citizen Airmen and spoke about
the challenging nature of integrating
Air Force active-duty and Reserve
components that make up the Total
Force Integration team.
Padilla for entrusting him with the
mission of Air Combat Command’s
only Reserve F-22 Raptor unit.
He gave a heartfelt thanks to his large
family in the audience and to those
who were not able to make it, and
stressed the importance of his family
to his career. He also thanked Col.
Jeffrey L. Harrigian, 49th Fighter Wing
commander, for accepting the 44th FG
as part of the Holloman family.
“I have to thank Colonel Harrigian
and my fellow group commanders
because the fact is, they’ve adopted us
as reservists,” Lindberg said.
Behind the hundreds of guests in the
crowd sat two F-22 Raptors, one of
which was painted with a 44th FG tail
flash and one with a 301st FS tail flash.
Lindberg mentioned that these two tail
flashes symbolized the “partnership
between the 49th Fighter Wing and the
44th Fighter Group.”
He also gave mention to the Tuskegee
Airmen and 44th Bomb Group veterans
– or as they were once called, “the flying
eight-balls” – who sat in the audience.
(“Historic 44th” continues on page 3)
“Sometimes, TFI is just plain hard,
but it is the hard that makes it great,”
Padilla said.
Despite its hardships, he said, the
“three great commanders” who
were chosen to stand up the units at
Holloman have done an impressive
job. The 44th FG, which began with
four people in 2008, now employs 154
people and is slated to have an end
strength of 330 people.
“Congratulations to each and every
one of you for what you’ve done to
build this great Total Force Integration
relationship out here at Holloman,”
he said, facing the three commanders
seated behind him.
After being passed the 44th FG
guidon, Col. Donald Lindberg thanked
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Col. Donald Lindberg (right) assumes command of the 44th Fighter Group from Maj. Gen.
Frank Padilla, 10th Air Force commander, during an activation ceremony April 9, 2010, at
Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.. The 44th FG is the only Air Force Reserve organization
to be selected to fly and maintain the U.S. Air Force’s premier air superiority fighter, the
F-22 Raptor. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman DeAndre Curtiss)
Airmen bring earthquake relief, F-22 Raptor to Chile air show
By Capt. Nathan D. Broshear
Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern) Public Affairs
4/21/2010 - DAVIS-MONTHAN
AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Air
Force members from the F-22
Raptor Demonstration Team; U.S.
Air Force Academy; Holloman
Air Force Base,N.M.; Texas Air
National Guard; Air Forces Southern
and others joined forces to bring
earthquake relief and Air Force
airpower to the FIDAE (Feria
Internacional del Aire y del Espacio)
Air and Trade Show in Santiago,
Chile March 23-28.
Held shortly after the 8.8-magnitude
earthquake south of the Chilean
capitol, the air show’s theme was
“solidarity,” prompting FIDAE
participants to bring relief supplies
for earthquake victims on every
aircraft participating in the show.
C-130s from the Texas Air National
Guard and a C-17 from the 62nd Air
Wing at McChord Air Force Base
transported more than 95,000 pounds
of relief supplies while en route to
the event.
Members of the 49th Fighter Wing
at Holloman Air Force Base loaded
pallets of supplies from New Mexico
hardware stores that were transported
via C-130 to Chile. After flying more
than 17 hours to deliver two F-22
aircraft to the air show venue, Col.
Jeffrey Harrigian, the 49th Fighter Wing
commander, and AFSOUTH planners
handed over the equipment to be
transported south immediately to areas
affected by the earthquake.
“Solidarity with the people of Chile
guided our thought process,” said Col.
Bryan Bearden, the Air Forces Southern
director of operations. “In addition to
being able to support the air and trade
show, Airmen from across the United
States were able to support ongoing
earthquake relief operations with every
mission headed to FIDAE.”
“Equipment brought in by U.S. Air
Force aircraft was stored in a dedicated
supply hangar at the air show site and
immediately moved from the capitol
to areas in need after aircraft arrived,”
added Bearden.
The F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team
led the community outreach efforts,
visiting local hospitals, children
from the Make a Wish Foundation,
TELETON and the ALDEAS SOS
orphanage. While the demo team spoke
to dozens of international media outlets,
Airmen from every unit participating
dedicated their time to making FIDAE
a special event for every group hosted
by the U.S. Air Force.
Shortly before the air show began,
Airmen volunteered to take more
than 40 orphans and at-risk youth to
Museo Interactivo Mirador, a worldrenowned children’s museum, where
the group spent the day learning about
science with fun hands-on displays.
None of the children had ever been to a
museum before, and the experience was
truly heartwarming, said Maj. David
Skalicky, the F-22 Demo Team pilot.
“The best part of being in Chile for the
FIDAE air show is meeting the people
here,” he said. “This is an outstanding
opportunity to provide positive role
models to the children we’ve met....
and to showcase our Airmen and their
capabilities to FIDAE attendees during
the F-22 demonstration.”
Some of the children received a
personal tour of the F-22 hangar and
met the demo team. Later, the young
VIPs stepped on board the C-17 and
posed for photos with C-130 aircrews.
The Airmen were clearly touched by
the experience of meeting the Chilean
children and sharing their love of
airpower with each group. At the end
of the event, Airmen donated more than
$2,000 to the Make a Wish Foundation.
“This personal donation will provide
deserving children with once-in-alifetime experiences – much in the
same way they provided us with lifelong memories of our interaction with
them,” added Skalicky.
SANTIAGO, Chile -- Children from the Make a Wish Foundation pose with members
of Air Combat Command’s F-22 Demonstration Team during the FIDAE air and trade
show in Santiago, Chile. The group toured Air Force displays, sat in the cockpit of cargo
aircraft and met with Airmen for several hours during the international event. Airmen
were so moved by their interaction with the young VIPs that at the conclusion of the
show, the Air Force delegation made a personal donation to the Make a Wish program.
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Also during the week, engineering
students from the Catholic University
in Santiago visited the show, toured the
aircraft and got a chance to exchange
ideas with Air Force maintainers.
Distinguished guests to the Air Force
displays also included the president of
Chile and air chiefs from several Latin
American air forces.
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This was the first F-22 Raptor assigned to the 8th Fighter Squadron outside a hangar at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. The pilots and
maintainers of the 8th FS will work hand-in-hand with the 7th Fighter Squadron until the unit deploys this summer. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior
Airman John D. Strong II)
(“Historic 44th” continued from page 1)
“We’ve got some phenomenal heritage
sitting here beside you. Those who
sit there are highly decorated,” said
Lindberg. “That’s a heritage, flying eightballs, that you guys are going to inherit.”
After receiving his first salute as 44th
FG commander, Lindberg passed
the 301st FS guidon to Lt. Col. Kent
Furman. Furman echoed Lindberg’s
sentiments about the veterans who were
present, as the Tuskegee Airmen were
originally associated with the 301st.
“I’m humbled and honored to be in the
presence of some great warriors, men
who faced not only on the ground but
in the air, insurmountable challenges,
missions that were flown through such
formidable defenses and targets that
there were over 50 percent loss rates,”
Furman said.
“To the Tuskegee Airmen, rest assured
that the 301st FS of today, flying the Air
Force’s premier air dominance fighter, the
F-22, trains and stands ready to continue
that legacy if called to do so,” he said.
He then addressed the citizen Airmen
of 301st FS, saying he was honored and
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humbled to be their commander, and
offered them a challenge.
“I take this job seriously,” Furman
said. “I will take care of you, and I will
lead you. Have no doubt in that. But I
challenge each and every one of you.
The challenge is to juggle three pieces
of your life: your military side, your
civilian employer if you choose to do
so, and your family. It’s a fine balance.”
Finally, Lindberg passed the last
guidon to Maj. William Magee, who
was charged with the responsibility of
leading the Airmen of the 44th AMXS
in support of maintaining the 49th FW’s
F-22 fleet. After assuming command
of the squadron, Magee began his
speech with a quote relevant to his new
responsibilities.
“Luke 12:48 says ‘to whom much is
given, much is expected’ and what
I’ve been given certainly fits in the
category of ‘much’. Because I’ve
been given such an honor, I realize
much will be expected of me,” Magee
said. The men and women of the 44th
AMXS deserve the best, and I intend
to give them all I have.”
The major said that the goal of the 44th
AMXS will be to provide to the flying
squadrons combat-ready aircraft with
bombs, missiles and bullets so they can
carry out the combatant commander’s
objective.
“We are in the business of war, and we
must keep ourselves and our aircraft
ready at all times,” he said. “The
44th AMXS is on the right path. Its
members are patriots, citizen soldiers,
who provide a combat-ready force,
who are well-trained and motivated.
I’m honored to have the opportunity to
serve beside them and to command this
great squadron.”
Flying Highlights
Total sorties flown: 63,742
Flight hour total: 88,876
Operational: 78,222
Test: 10,654
Totals through April 30, 2010
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Tyndall shines at air show
By Senior Airman Veronica McMahon
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
4/16/2010 - TYNDALL AIR FORCE
BASE, Fla. -- More than 137,000
people from all around the Southeast
gathered to watch the many
performances that took place April 10
and 11 at Eglin AFB, Fla., during the
75th Annual Eglin Open House and
Air Show.
Although the crowd witnessed
many different aerial acts, one
demonstration caught the eye of the
people from Tyndall AFB because
it was Team Tyndall’s aircraft that
the crowd cheered over during the
F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team’s
performance.
“The jets are right here from Tyndall
AFB,” said Maj. David “Zeke”
Skalicky, F-22 Raptor demo pilot.
“There is a lot of significance in that
because all of the pilots are trained
at Tyndall. I started flying the F-22s
there at the 43rd Fighter Squadron in
early 2006.”
Skalicky is in his second season in
action. He is an operational instructor
at Langley AFB, Va.
events chief marketing officer at
Langley AFB.
This is Skalicky’s last season as the
demo pilot.
“The pilot who brought out the aircraft
is taking over next season,” said
Skalicky. “He is also from Tyndall.”
Maj. Henry Schantz, 325th Fighter
Wing executive officer, is scheduled to
be an F-22 demo pilot next season.
“I am very honored to be selected as
the ACC F-22 demonstration pilot,”
said Schantz. “It is an incredible
responsibility to showcase the world’s
most advanced and dominant fighter,
and I look forward to it. The ability to
aid in recruiting and retention for the
Air Force while displaying the Raptor’s
unmatched capability is really a dream
come true.”
While the F-22 aircraft represented
Tyndall at the air show, the 325th
Fighter Wing also had one of
its alumni leading the U.S. Air
Force Thunderbirds, Lt. Col. Case
Cunningham, former director of
operations for the 43rd FS.
“It was the best Thunderbirds show
I have ever seen,” said Col. Bradley
McCoy, 325th Fighter Wing vice
commander. “They had impressive
new additions to the show such
as the diamond loop on takeoff. It
was great hearing over the speakers
the familiar voice of Lieutenant
Colonel Cunningham checking in the
Thunderbirds.”
Many members of Tyndall were there
to witness the performance.
“My three boys really enjoyed the air
show, especially the F-22 demo and
the Thunderbirds,” said McCoy. “From
the time they stepped to the jets until
the engines shut down, their eyes were
glued to the airplanes. Tyndall is looking
forward to hosting next year’s air show
and will reciprocate the hospitality
received at Eglin Air Force Base.”
“This show was just awesome for us
because it showcased the best aspects
of the Air Force - technology and
teamwork,” said the demo pilot. “Our
team is great and there is nothing like
the people you get to meet.”
The team displays the capabilities of
the world’s most advanced fighter
aircraft and was at the air show to
recruit and retain America’s finest,
showcase American airpower and
enhance community relations, said
Lt. Col. William Edwards, aerial
Maj. David “Zeke” Skalicky, F-22 Raptor demo pilot, performing during the Eglin Air
Force Base Open House and Air Show April 10. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman
Veronica McMahon)
F-22 Delivery Status:
Lockheed Martin delivered Raptor 4160 April 29 to the U.S. Air Force. The delivery marked the 80th straight F-22 delivered
on or ahead of schedule. Year-to-date totals include seven deliveries and seven builds, with overall program totals standing at
160 aircraft delivered and 165 builds. The total number of aircraft achieving Platinum Star Quality – or zero defect – is 36.
F-22 Program Status
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The F-22 Mission Brief Contact: Christopher McGee | 770-494-2578 | [email protected]
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