Courtesy Photo | F-15 EX Eagle II, tail 008 makes its descent into Portland Air National Guard Base,...... read more read more
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PORTLAND, Ore. – It’s a fitting milestone, just before the one-year anniversary of integrating the F-15EX Eagle II into the Portland Air National Guard Base on 5 June, the 142nd Wing has received its fourth F-15EX Eagle II. Portland welcomed its first two aircraft in 2024, followed by a third just last month. With the arrival of the fourth just yesterday, the unit is making steady progress toward its goal of receiving all 18 aircraft in the years ahead.
Col. Daniel McAllister, commander of the 142nd Wing Maintenance Group, leads a team of around 400 Airmen tasked with keeping the wing’s F-15 fleet mission-ready. From daily flying operations to long-term fleet health and the critical alert mission, McAllister’s team is at the heart of Portland’s transformation.
“We’re asking a lot of our folks, and I think it’s just a testament to the experience and talent we have here in Portland,” McAllister said. “I'm really proud of our people. Our maintainers are figuring this out as we go.”
The 142nd Wing is the first operational unit in the Air Force to fly the F-15EX, a role that comes with both opportunities and growing pains. The transition from the legacy F-15 Eagle fleet, which has been a Portland staple for over 35 years, is coming to a close as a bright new chapter emerges.
“We’re in the process of essentially combat coding these airplanes,” McAllister said. “Right now, we’re still operating them in a test status... but we’re close.”
Initial aircraft arrived with delays and lacked finalized technical orders, forcing maintainers to rely on draft documents or direct support from Boeing and engineers. But with test orders being finalized and aircraft arriving more regularly, the unit is gaining momentum. McAllister anticipates the fifth F-15 EX Eagle II arriving within the month.
“This is a crawl-walk-run process,” McAllister said. “And we’re ramping up rapidly. I expect we’ll be fully divested of the F-15C and [in a position to support homeland defense operations] with the EX in the near future, something no other unit has done yet.”
One of the key figures driving the operational side of this transition is Maj. Jonathan Taylor, an experienced instructor pilot who’s been flying the F-15EX Eagle II since August 2024.
“It's definitely busier to be qualified in both the C and the EX, they're different enough to where you have to stay on top of the studying and procedures and be proficient in two different airplanes at once.”
Taylor is part of a 10-member instructor cadre responsible for qualifying pilots transitioning from the F-15C. So far, they’ve trained 14 out of 32 pilots, and the goal is to have the entire team trained up within the next year.
In addition to Portland’s transition, the unit is laying the groundwork for supporting Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. Kadena, which no longer houses F-15 C model, is preparing to receive the F-15EX Eagle II in the near future. Portland will play a key role in qualifying Kadena’s first cadre of instructor pilots and maintainers.
“We’ve had a steady flow of maintainers from Kadena that have been here to learn about the new airplane to keep their skills sharp, since they no longer have any F15-C anymore,” McAllister said.
April marked a significant milestone when the 142nd Wing brought an F-15EX Eagle II to Nellis Air Force Base to integrate with the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, a first for any operational line unit.
Looking ahead, the focus will be on full squadron qualification, placing the F-15EX Eagle II on alert, and supporting Kadena’s ramp-up. The excitement surrounding the F-15EX Eagle II’s advanced capabilities is palpable.
“The engines, flight controls, the avionics, the sensors, and the capability to carry more weapons…it’s night and day compared to the C-model,” McAllister noted. “If you ever get a chance to watch takeoffs…it’s very obvious which ones are the C models and which ones are the EXs.”
Taylor agrees, “It’s incredibly powerful, about 30 percent more powerful than the C-model.”
As the Portland Air National Guard Base continues its pivotal role in standing up the F-15EX Eagle II, both McAllister and Taylor remain committed to excellence, proud of their teams and united in the mission ahead.
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2025 14:51 |
| Story ID: | 499761 |
| Location: | PORTLAND AIR GUARD STATION, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 379 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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