MORRIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ariz.-- Gen. David W. Allvin, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (CSAF) and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David A. Flosi visited the 162d Wing at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, July 9, 2024.
While in Tucson, Allvin and Flosi met with Arizona Air National Guard leadership, personnel, instructors, and foreign military F-16 student pilots, to include the current Ukrainian training class.
“The Total Force team here at Morris Air National Guard Base is diligently training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fundamentals,” said Allvin, “The goal is for our partners to employ this complex weapon system safely and proficiently, which requires time and experience. We will continue to support the wider Department of Defense effort to work with Ukraine to meet both its immediate and longer-term security assistance needs.”
The 162d Wing is the Air National Guard's premier F-16 training wing; having a rooted history of training elite fighter pilots since 1969 and international pilots from over 30 different nations since 1989, which strengthened bonds between the United States and its international partners.
“The 162d experience and professionalism make them the premier fighter training wing,” said Maj. Gen. Kerry Muehlenbeck, Arizona National Guard Adjutant General. “I am beyond proud of how they strengthen our international relationships and build partner capacity.”
During the visit, flight training capabilities and efforts were discussed with Wing leadership and F-16 instructor pilots. The discussions also involved an in-depth review on training timelines, progressions, and benchmarks that have been made thus far.
The F-16 flight training program contains classroom, simulator, and flight training of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a highly maneuverable, compact, multi-role fighter aircraft.
“The F-16 is an aircraft that requires lengthy training for maximum proficiency,” said Col. Brant Putnam, 162d Wing Commander. “Our program teaches pilots the necessary fundamentals and maneuvers to successfully operate the aircraft, while simultaneously building allied relationships.”
The visit concluded with a base all-call, where Arizona Air National Guard personnel heard from Allvin and Flosi regarding the future outlook of the Air Force as a total force organization in today’s era of Great Power Competition.
Date Taken: | 07.11.2024 |
Date Posted: | 07.11.2024 19:15 |
Story ID: | 476000 |
Location: | TUCSON, ARIZONA, US |
Web Views: | 68 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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