333rd, 334th, 335th and 336th FS, the 4th
Operations Support Squadron (OSS)
and the 4th Training Squadron. The 333rd
and 334th are the FTUs, but new trainees
coming to the F-15E have their first stop
at the 4th Training Squadron.
Commanding this unit, which affords
the first step into the F-15E cockpit under
the basic (B) course, is Lt Col Jason ‘Drago’
Taylor. ‘I’ve got the opportunity to mentor
and have an influence on the next
generation of Strike Eagle crews, which I
think is an incredible honor,’ he says. ‘For
each new class I personally sit down with
each student individually. I have them
come in and close the door for about 20
minutes and tell them a little about me,
and also hear about them. I give them a
little philosophy about what is expected
of them and what they can expect from
me. But really I’m trying to further instill
the fighter pilot attitude. One of the first
things I do with them is ask them if theyknow who Brig Gen Robin Olds was. Do
they know his famous quote? ‘Fighter
pilot is an attitude. It is cockiness. It is
aggressiveness. It is self-confidence.
It is a streak of rebelliousness, and it is
competitiveness. But there’s something
else — there’s a spark. There’s a desire to
be good. To do well; in the eyes of your
peers, and in your own mind.’
‘That attitude is not just for the pilot
in the front seat. It’s also for the WSO in
the back. I want them to be a little edgy
and cocky, but I want them to be able
to back it up as they go through the
course. I need them to understand that
the job they are going into involves life
and death decisions. I don’t mean to
sound dramatic, but you will be over a
battlefield where the guy on the radio is
saying, ‘here is a target and it is hostile’.
Based on everything that only you can
see from your vantage point, you have
the final decision before you hit thatpickle button whether they live or die, so I
tell them not to take it lightly.’
Taylor’s experience in combat operations
underscores his belief in the need for
a strong foundation when it comes to
training. Laying that foundation is what his
squadron is all about. ‘I tell the new crews
that now is the time to buckle down for
the next six months and get to know the
Strike Eagle inside and out, because once
they get to the operational squadrons, it’s
all about tactics.’
The 4th TS typically runs four classes
per year, with a dozen active-duty
instructors plus around 40 experienced
contractors — who are mostly former
Strike Eagle aircrews — who teach
a lot of the academics and run the
simulators. These instructors also have
the task of fine-tuning the syllabus as
the jet evolves. Students can expect
two months of front-loaded academics
before they get close to a jet. ‘They learnAbove left to
right: Signing
for the jet, a
‘Lancers’ pilot
goes through
the obligatory
paperwork.
The popular
Joint Helmet-
Mounted Cueing
System (JHMCS)
is standard fare
for the pilot,
although the
WSO position
is not yet
equipped.
However,
plans are on
the horizon to
address this.
4th FW F-15Es
fly over the
Wright Brothers
National
Memorial at Kill
Devil Hills.4TH FIGHTER WING | FEATURE ARTICLE
35
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