168th ARW aircrews sharpen skills while supporting NATO mission

Photo By Capt. Francine St Laurent | Staff Sgt. Kyle Armour, 168th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, guides the boom into the fuel receptor of an AWACS E-3A during a training mission Oct. 8, 2014, from Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base, Germany. (Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Francine St. Laurent)  

GEILENKIRCHEN, GERMANY

10.08.2014

Courtesy Story

Alaska National Guard Public Affairs   

By Senior Airman Francine St. Laurent

GEILENKIRCHEN NATO AIR BASE, Germany - Airmen from the 168th Air Refueling Wing spent two weeks at Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base, Germany, supporting the Airborne Warning and Control System NATO mission.

The 17 E-3A AWACS aircraft located at Geilenkirchen NATO AB provide airborne radar surveillance for NATO as a component of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force, which was established in 1978.

The 168th ARW is one of 18 Air National Guard units that support the AWACS mission by providing refueling capabilities. Doing so allows 168th Air Refueling Squadron pilots and boom operators to hone and refresh various skills.

Staff Sgt. Kyle Armour, 168th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, gained experience refueling aircraft flown by international pilots.

“Getting so much interaction with the foreign receivers is really good because when we do go over to the desert, we refuel foreign receivers over there,” Armour said. “A lot of the countries don’t have dedicated tankers like we do.”

Each training mission allows E-3A pilots to stay proficient at refueling, Armour said. During the course of a couple of hours, five or six pilots may take turns practicing making contact with the boom as many times as possible, he added. In exchange, boom operators gain experience coordinating with foreign pilots.

Meanwhile, pilots gain experience flying in European air space, which is more congested than Alaska and the United States, said Maj. Brian Tipton, 168th Air Refueling Squadron pilot.

“We’re so familiar with the air refueling tracks in Alaska that we don’t have to think very hard to fly into a mission,” Tipton said. “Here, we’re not as aware of where everything is and what’s going on, so it forces us to operate outside our comfort zone.”

For pilots and boom operators alike, supporting the NATO mission at Geilenkirchen is an opportunity to gain experience flying in international air space.

• Date Taken: 10.08.2014
• Date Posted: 10.08.2014 19:21
• Story ID: 144671
• Location: GEILENKIRCHEN, DE
• Hometown: EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, AK, US