Photo By Lt.j.g. Drew Verbis | 210225-N-AS200-1163 EL CENTRO, Calif. — Capt. William Perkins, commanding officer,...... read more read more
EL CENTRO, Calif. — Capt. William Perkins, commanding officer, Naval Air Facility (NAF) EL Centro, flew with the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds Feb. 25, 2021.
Perkins occasionally flies with embarked detachments to garner a poignant perspective on customer needs and to ensure the base remains aligned with evolving training and safety requirements for new weapons systems and tactics as well as verifying the installation continues to meet the high standards NAFEC has set for delivering the finest aviation support to the fleet.
“I was honored to be invited to fly with the Thunderbirds and experience the F-16 Falcon in action”, said Perkins. “Their invitation was about building relationships with the base and community. Team NAFEC and our community works diligently to exceed the expectations of our visiting squadrons unique, and often significantly different training requirements. The positive feedback that we receive from the visiting detachments is a testament to our dedication and the performance of our team.”
The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, conducted their 2nd Annual Joint Training with the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, to trade best practices and lessons learned in preparation for the 2021 show season Feb. 24- March 3, 2021.
“During this year’s training, we made it a requirement to fly the base commander in our demonstration so he can better understand our flying operations and mission,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Michael “Thorny” Brewer. “I was very excited to have Capt. Perkins join us in the air and he did extremely well while flying in our entire-practice demonstration. We hope his time with our team gave him a peak into our operations and what it means to represent and showcase the pride, professionalism, and precision of the 697,000 total force Airmen who make up the Air Force.”
NAF El Centro provides the ideal combination of training elements and environment, added Perkins.
“NAF El Centro provides a perfect training location with unmatched weather conditions, a nearby training range complex and an airbase operated by a team of can-do sailors and civilians across the entire facility.”
The mission of NAF El Centro is to support the combat training and readiness of the warfighter. This includes air operations support to operational fleet and training squadrons as well as squadrons from other services (Marine Corps, Army, Air Force) and international military partners.
| Date Taken: | 03.05.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.05.2021 16:57 |
| Story ID: | 390721 |
| Location: | EL CENTRO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 348 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Skipper NAF El Centro Flies with the Thunderbirds, by LTJG Drew Verbis, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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