Base, are led by Lt Col Greg Barasch, who
explained that most of the airmen in his
contingent are part-timers: “They also have
‘real-life’ jobs – for example, as airline pilots.”
The unit deployed to Europe in January
as a Theater Security Package (TSP) to
train with different NATO allies and other
regional partners, including Swedish Air
Force Gripens and Finnish F/A-18s. These
missions, part of Operation Atlantic Resolve,
demonstrate the capability of the Ohio
ANG’s 180th FW and the willingness of the
US military to forward deploy to Europe.
The emblem of the ‘Stingers’ is a helmeted
bee. Currently, the squadron is using a
version in which the bee wears a fur cap
and carries the Estonian flag against a
snowy landscape. The ‘Stingers Euro Trip
18’ first took the unit to Ämari air base
in Estonia, where personnel worked with
Belgian, British, Finnish and Swedish units.Scramble!
The siren to kick off the exercise is followed
by a mass briefing. In a room resembling
a small cinema theatre with red seats, an
officer in front of a screen explains flight
routes and mission objectives. “Magnum”,
he says, as if to confirm that everything has
been understood. “Magnum!” the pilots call
out in response and then set off. Originally,
the 480th used the ‘Magnum’ radio call to
signal that an anti-radiation missile had been
fired. Today it is something of a general-
purpose salutation among comrades.
Pilots – whose own callsigns include ‘Nam’,
‘Bulldog’, ‘Knife’ and ‘Toro’, worn on the front
of their helmets – now take to the runway in
their jets. The exact time it takes for them to
get airborne cannot be disclosed, such are the
security considerations behind the exercise.
Not only the aircrew, but also the entire
staff at the base, including security forces,
fire brigade and paramedics must be
ready within a very short time. During the
simulated attack, everyone has to prove that
they know what to do in an emergency.
Capt Jessica Watts leads the 480th Aircraft
Maintenance Unit (AMU). The exercises
are extremely important, she says, so that
her technicians are kept at the top of their
game and always know where to look for
potential problems. “By putting so muchstress on the organisation to see how well we
perform, as leaders it allows us to see ‘Hey,
I have an issue here’,” she observed. “You
can’t fix what you don’t know is broken.”
Spangdahlem AB should “always be combat
ready” to support European NATO partners
in mutual defence, added Capt Jessica
Watts. Specific details of what a potential
threat might look like are not mentioned, but
there is much talk of ‘regional adversaries’.
After all, the TSP programme was initiated
in response to security developments in
Eastern Europe, including eastern Ukraine.
Deployments like these are not infrequent,
but each one is different, according to Lt
Col Greg Barasch. Last year the 112th
EFS deployed to Hungary, which is Ohio’s
state partner, to participate in Exercise
Load Diffuser. “Integrating with other
units”, Lt Col Barasch explained, “gets
the unit out of their comfort zone.”
When the 180th FW arrived at Spangdahlem,
the crews started flying sorties the next day.
This demonstrates the unit’s ability to deploy at
short notice but also puts extra stress on the
squadron airmen and those of the host wing.
The most important element to keep the
aircraft ready for action are the maintainers.
The 480th AMU worked around the clock
throughout the exercise and all of the unit’s
active-duty personnel were involved. For them,
manoeuvres like these provide plenty of learning
opportunities, not least working smoothly on
the flight line with the visiting Ohio ANG.Right: One of Spangdahlem’s resident jets,
F-16CM 90-0829 ‘SP/520G’, gets airborne. It
wears an impressive tally of mission markings
applied during the squadron’s deployments as
part of Operation Inherent Resolve.Right: Some of the 112th EFS ‘Vipers’ at Spangdahlem – including F-16C 89-2151 ‘OH’ – were resplendent
in the latest dark grey colour scheme, known as Upgraded Have Glass. The ‘Stingers’ deployed to
Europe in January as a Theater Security Package.AFMhttp://www.airforcesmonthly.com #363 JUNE 2018 // 97