301 FW F-35 Program Integration Office makes beddown possible

Photo By Nije Hightower | Maj. Matthew Stongin, 301st Fighter Wing F-35 Program Integration Office director, explains the future placements of F-35A Lightning II aircraft facilities on the wing's flight line to Jeremy Roman, 301 FW Public Affairs operations chief at U.S. Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, Sept. 29, 2021. Stongin also explained how F-16 Fighting Falcon operations will continue as the wing phases in requirements such as operations, aircraft maintenance and flight simulator facilities in preparation for the F-35 arrival. (U.S Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nije Hightower)  

FORT WORTH, TX, UNITED STATES

10.01.2021

Story by Staff Sgt. Nije Hightower 

301st Fighter Wing

NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE FORT WORTH, Texas --
The 457th Fighter Squadron, 301st Fighter Wing, has navigated the skies even before the creation of the U.S. Air Force on Sept. 18, 1947. Their legacy began on Oct. 5, 1944, when the squadron flew sorties (or flying missions) throughout the Pacific Theater in Republic P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft and that same legacy continues on today. The 301st Fighter Wing was selected to become Air Force Reserve Command’s first ever F-35A Lighting II unit and is expecting to receive its first aircraft in 2024. Transitioning to the newest fifth-generation aircraft doesn’t happen overnight or by itself. Without the help of a specialized unit—the 301 FW Program Integration Office—this transition would not be possible.

PIO’s unique mission is to facilitate the seamless transition of the wing's current F-16C/D Fighting Falcon combat mission to the F-35, which is referred to as a beddown, while simultaneously ensuring the wing’s capability to accomplish its mission-- to train and deploy combat ready airmen.

“Mission transitions for [a] wing are a once in a generation opportunity,” said Maj. Matthew ‘Rage’ Strongin, 301st FW director of the F-35 PIO. “Getting to do this in the reserve is a fantastic opportunity for me personally and it's a great way to contribute to national defense."

The initial project began in 2016 when four Air Force bases within the U.S. were being considered for potential beddown locations. Having been selected after environmental impact surveys and public hearings, Strongin and his team continue to work with a multitude of entities to handle all the logistics to integrate the F-35 program. Their emphasis of “sizing it right and building it once” details their mindset throughout this entire process.

“We need to make sure we have done the research in order to make the appropriate recommendations for the decision makers because we know we are only going to get one chance,” said Strongin. "The team of individuals we have in the PIO are hand selected, highly skilled, incredibly motivated, and they are producing results as fast the problems are coming.”

Among the many moving parts, key components to the transition are balancing budgeting, timeliness, and resources.

Strongin said one of his biggest challenges is filtering the information that comes across the PIO team’s desk. They work with dozens of organizations across the DOD to figure out the costs, timeline, approval authority, and how to advocate for their needs.

“There are so many unknowns and things which can affect our plan and having an understanding of how these interrelated factors are going to impact each other and still produce an effective, on-time, on budget project is tremendously complicated,” said Strongin. “It’s also very fulfilling to work on it."

Another important and challenging factor for the PIO team is getting personnel ready.

“The aircraft and the equipment are really the easiest piece of this [process],” he said. “Getting our people retrained to take this weapon system into combat is going to be a much larger lift because it’s the most complicated part [in] the beddown. It is going to take a lot more time and a lot more effort to get that right.”

The process to see the first jet of a beddown spans approximately nine years, but by then, the journey has only begun.

“It doesn't end when the first aircraft arrives, it's just a transitional milestone for us then we can start the flying mission and start the training mission here at Carswell,” he said. "[This process] doesn't end until we’ve met all of our readiness goals and we exit conversion and that will be in the late 2020’s”.

Strongin concluded by explaining how the historical significance and impact of this pivotal undertaking is not lost on him and his PIO team.

“I was excited for the challenge and have been very blessed with the leadership and the command,” he said. “It’s very enjoyable to work in an organization that trusts you and your team and I’ve always had that here. This is and will be one of the highlights of my career.”

• Date Taken: 10.01.2021
• Date Posted: 10.05.2021 15:36
• Story ID: 406778
• Location: FORT WORTH, TX, US