heinvited^ Aviation^ Magazine^ was^ T^ to^ the^ media^ day^

March^ 13,^2018 atonSpangdahlem^ air^ base^ to^ cover

flying^ operations^ that^ are^ parttheof^ a^ two‐week^ base‐

wide^ readiness^ exercise.^

Currier,^ public^ affairsexplained:52nd^ Fighter^ Wing,^ MSgt

"Thedesigned^ readiness^ exercise^ is^ to^ test^ the^ abil‐

to^ respond^ quickly^ toityany^ threat^ or^ emergency,^ to

receive^ additional^ forces^ and to^ rapidly^ generate^ air‐

to^ respond^ tocraftany^ regional^ adversary^ aggression.

The^ training^ is^ also^ geared to^ test^ the^ airbase's^ overall

It^ tests^ our^ abilityreadiness.to^ respond^ to^ attacks,^ and

itknowledge^ approves^ our^ general^ of^ self‐aid^ medi‐

which^ is^ a^ raw^ medicalcare,training^ that^ we^ get^ to^ help

ourselves^ and^ to^ help^ our partners^ if^ they^ get^ injured^

hasan^ attack.^ Readiness^ during^ always^ been^ a^ priority

forthis^ us^ but^ exercises^ like^ would^ help^ us^ to^ maintain

our^ readiness."^ combat In^ order^ to^ cover^ the^ flying^ operations^ we^ had^ the^ opportunity

to^ view^ pre‐flight operations,^ take‐offs^ and^

ofalong^ with^ interviews^ landings^ pilots^ from^ the^ 480th

Fighter^ Squadron,^ the 112th^ Expeditionary^ Fighter^

(EFS)^ and^ aircraftSquadronmaintainers^ from^ the^ 52nd

Aircraft^ Maintenance^ Squadron.^

The 112 EFS deployed to Europe as part of the Thea

ter Security Package (TSP) and are conducting exer-

cise related flying operations together with the Spangdahlem based 480

thth FS and 726 Air Mobility

thSquadron. MSgt Currier: "The 112 EFS are here to participate in ou

r exercise. Their participation show-

cases how an active duty unit and an Air National Gu

ard unit can come together to accomplish a unified

mission. We call this our total force capability where we have active duty and Guard staff work together".

thofCol. Barasch, (^112) Lt.^ EFS‐commander,^ who^ is^ one^
thththefour fulltime pilots in and  580   FW/112 FS^ only
onflown^ some^ 2.800^ hours^ has^ the^ F‐16,^ explained:^ "We
th^ here on March  6   and^ we^ immediately^ startedgot
integratedthe^ next^ day^ flying^ in^ this^ exercise.^ Basically,
to^ work^ the^ interoperability and^ increase^ our^ readi‐
whoworking^ alongside^ the^ ones^ ness^ are^ here^ [...].^ In^
inparticular^ exercise^ we^ integrate^ this^ both^ the^ air‐to‐
and^ air‐to‐groundairrole.^ Capt.^ Watts,^ Executive^ Officer
th^ the  480   FS,^ adds:^ "It's^ impressive^ to^ see^ howof
transferable^ it^ is^ ineasilybetween^ unit^ to^ unit^ based
on^ the^ mission^ sets^ we do.^ [...]^ Our^ primary^ mission
these^ pilots^ come^ out^ andwhenfly^ with^ us^ is^ SEAD.^ We
work^ them^ into^ or^ they work^ us^ into^ their^ mission^
getThat's^ how^ we^ sets.^ that^ kind^ of^ interoperabilities."
thonly  480   FS^ is^ flying^ the^ F‐^16 block^50 and^ is^ the^ The
Weasel^ unit^ of^ the^ U.S.^ Air^ Force^ inWildEurope.^ also readiness^ exercise^ interoperability^ validates^ the^ The
on^ the^ aircraft^ maintenance side.^ Capt.^ Watts,^ air‐
maintenance^ squadron^ officercraftin^ charge,^ states:^
theirOhio^ ANG^ brought^ "The^ own^ set^ of^ maintainers.
us.have^ integrated^ with^ They^ Their^ maintainers^ are^ primarily
touching^ their^ aircraft^ but they^ are^ working^ in^
onbuildings.^ They^ are^ leaning^ our^ us^ for^ parts^ and^ equipment
support^ if^ they^ need it.^ Their^ leadership^ and^
everyleadership^ have^ meetings^ our^ day^ and^ talk^ about
theIf^ status^ of^ aircraft.^ [...]^ they^ were^ short^ on^ people
outwould^ help^ them^ we^ with^ maintainers."^ Exercises^
these^ help^ to^ reviewlikeprocesses^ and^ find^ better^ and
maintenance (^) to get theways jobs^ done.^ quicker Theater Security Package Packageterm Theater Security^ The^ refers^ to^ the^ routine
deploymentfighter^ of^ U.S.^ squadrons,^ support^ per‐
bolsterand^ equipment^ to^ sonnel^ allied^ forces^ in^ Europe
on^ a^ rotating^ basis.^ These TSP^ units^ participate^ in^ fly‐
andtraining^ with^ joined^ ing^ allied^ forces^ to^ enhance
NATO's^ interoperability.^ Mid^ of January,^ twelve^ F‐^16
  42  from^ the^ OhioblockAir^ National^ Guard^ deployed^ as
part^ of^ the^ TSP^ in support^ of^ Operation^ Atlantic^ Re‐
to^ Estonia.^ The^ jetssolvefrom^ the^ 180th^ FW/112th^ FS
with^ just^ over^300 people and^ about^50 people^ from^
EFS.FW^ formed^ the^ 112th^ 52nd^ Thanks^ to^ a^ strong^ jet
stream,16s^ it^ took^ the^ F‐ eight^ hours^ non‐stop^ from^
Ohiohome^ base^ in^ Toledo,^ their^ to^ Estonia.^ Each^ jet^ was
airabout^ refueling^ ten^ times.^
don'tCol.^ Barasch,^ noted:^ "We^ Lt.^ let^ the^ tanks^ run^ down.
Weoff^ keep^ topping^ them^ because^ over^ the^ North^
lotthere^ is^ not^ a^ Atlantic,^ of^ options^ and^ you^ always
got^ to^ plan^ for^ the tanker^ breaking^ and/or^ your^ jet^
in^ or^ can't^ get^ gas^ sobreakingyou^ top^ it^ off.^ If^ you^ can't
geta^ gas^ then^ you^ have^ place^ you^ can^ divert^ to."^
112thhome^ in^ Ohio,^ the^ Back^ FS^ does^ the^ airspace^ control
alertjets^ mission^ and^ has^ on^ 24x7^ alert.^ However,^
any112th^ did^ not^ do^ the^ air^ policing^ missions^ in^ Estonia.
They^ were^ "basically^ there to^ show^ the^ commitment^
the^ US]^ to^ NATO^ and[ofto^ enhance^ the^ security^ of^ the
region.[...]the^ Getting^ away^ from^ home^ unit^ and^ go‐
to^ a^ different^ placeingand^ fly^ with^ different^ countries
and^ different^ squadrons^ helps to^ work^ that^ interop‐
with^ other^ units,erabilitytrain^ alongside^ and^ increase
our^ readiness.^ That's^ really^ the point^ why^ we^ do^ this.
out^ of^ our^ comfort^ zoneGetand^ go^ places^ where^ we^ don't
normallyimmediately^ go^ and^ execute^ the^ mission^
we^ are^ trained^ to^ dothatand^ do^ that^ alongside^ with^ our
ownour^ country^ and^ with^ regional^ partners^ and^ al‐
lies".^ TSP^ is^ between^ three^ and^ six^ months.^ For^ ANG^ units^ that
dohome^ alert^ missions^ back^ it's^ usually^ about^ three^
months.^ The^ Aviation^ Magazine^ thanks^ Ms^ Reiff,^ MSgt^ Currier
and52nd^ Lt^ Rodriguez^ from^ FW^ public^ affairs,^ Capt.
Lt.from^ the^ 480th^ FS,^ Watts^ Col.^ Barasch^ from^ the^ 112th
FS/112thWatts^ EFS^ and^ Capt.^ from^ the^ 52nd^ Air‐
Maintenance^ Squadron^ forcraftmaking^ this^ report^ possible.