U.S. Air Force Test Pilot's first time flying an A-10

Released by 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

U.S. Air Force Maj. Jesus Cosme, U.S. Air Force test pilot school student, parks an A-10 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., April 26, 2012. This was the first time Major Cosme has flown in an A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Camilla Griffin) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 80-0279, still wearing the "LET'S ROLL" logo, related to Nine Eleven and Operation Enduring Freedom. Crew inscriptions: Plt Capt Joe Shetterly, DCC SSgt Kenneth Rodriguez, ACC SSgt Shawn Edwards

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Douglas Rosenstock, U.S. Air Force test pilot school student, parks an A-10 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., April 26, 2012. This was the first time Captain Douglas has flown in an A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Camilla Griffin) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 80-0141 without any crew inscriptions.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Jesus Cosme, U.S. Air Force test pilot school student, climbs down from an A-10 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., April 26, 2012. This was the first time Major Cosme has flown in an A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Camilla Griffin) Hi-res

Note: White fin band

358th FS reestablishes 'First Friday' with Easter extravaganza

by Airman 1st Class Michael Washburn
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs



U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Jared Graham, 355th Training Squadron A-10 pilot, holds up his son, William, as he picks an egg out of a tree at the 358th Fighter Squadron Easter egg hunt on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., April 6. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Washburn) Hi-res

4/11/2012 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- The 358th Fighter Squadron held an Easter egg hunt for their military members' children here April 6.

The Easter egg hunt helped the Airmen meet each other's family. About nine children participated in the hunt, all of them looking for more than 60 eggs.

"I recently took command and really wanted to get the 'first Friday' reestablished," said Col. Jennifer Short, 358th FS commander. "The first Friday of every month, we try and get the spouses and the families of our Airmen in our Heritage room and participate in an event. It just made sense to do an Easter egg hunt for the kids this month."

As the children waited for everyone to arrive before searching for the eggs, they started their sugar-high-filled Friday by decorating and devouring cookies. When it came to the decorating the cookies with sugary toppings, the "less is more" saying didn't hold true. The cookies looked like they weighed about a pound from all the layers of frosting and sprinkles smeared on them.

When everyone arrived, the hunt was about to commence. When the front doors of the Heritage room swung open, an onslaught of eager kids poured out to attack the outdoor area of the 358th FS in search of the treat-filled plastic eggs.

With the looting at an end and each child with a number of eggs in their possession, the parents and their children took the party back inside, where they mingled, laughed and enjoyed each other's company for the rest of the evening.

Hosting events like these are a way for the 358th FS to meet the families of the Airmen they work with. They can strip away the coworker moniker and start calling each other friends.

"I think having these events where everyone can mingle together and meet each other's family makes us different than other jobs," Short said. "I think with other companies, you go home on a Friday and spend time with your family and forget about work. We really know and take care of each other. We have people who deploy and you need that support back home when the Airman is deployed to keep that family together. I think that's why we're so good at what we do, because we take care of not just the Airman, but also their family."

Source

From Warthog News: Good luck for your career as 358th FS commander, Col. Jennifer Short!

Royal Air Force trains with A-10s

by Senior Airman Brittany Dowdle
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

4/6/2012 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- The Royal Air Force's Tornado GR4 is scheduled to be at Davis-Monthan until April 23 for Exercise Torpedo Focus.

Torpedo Focus is a heavy weapons training exercise for Tornados to work with A-10 pilots in D-M's vast airspace. The Royal Air Force comes to D-M annually for this training that allows them to train side by side A-10 pilots in live-round detonations.

"In the U.S. you have fantastic bombing ranges which allow us to employ our heavy weapons said Flight Lt. Steven Eccles, 31 squadron pilot. "We don't have those back home in the U.K. It's great for us to drop live heavy weapons on the huge range complexes here."

While Lieutenant Eccles appreciates the amenities the US bases offer, he's more thankful for the real world application that training affords.

"The training is especially important because it allows us to practice what we'll do for real in operation," Eccles said. "It allows us to work with our coalition allies, the U.S. Air Force. We can practice for operations in Afghanistan and any potential conflicts which may happen around the globe."

Not only do the British Tornado GR4's train here at D-M, they also go to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for Exercise Red Flag and Exercise Green Flag.

Red Flag is the Air Force's premier air-to-air combat training exercise. The exercise gives pilots the experience of multiple, intensive air combat sorties in the safety of a training environment.

Exercise Green Flag is air-to-ground training exercise. Aircraft and crews fly from Nellis AFB in support of ground combat training at Fort Irwin, Calif.

The Tornado GR4 is a variable geometry, two-seat, day or night, all-weather attack aircraft capable of delivering a wide variety of weapons. The GR4 also has a Ground Mapping Radar to identify fix-points and update navigation systems as well as providing an air-to-air search facility. The Tornado GR4 is a world leader in the specialized field of all-weather, day and night tactical reconnaissance.

Source

D-M Airmen paint planes for protection

by Airman 1st Class Michael Washburn
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

4/5/2012 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Stepping into the paint barn on D-M feels like being on the set of the movie "E.T." or "Outbreak." Airmen are dressed up in white hazardous material suits like the actors in those films, except they're not looking for a candy-munching life form or trying to stop a deadly disease from spreading.

The Airmen are trying to stop the disastrous spread of rust and corrosion on the equipment the men and women of D-M use every day. They accomplish their mission by sanding, priming and painting. One of the larger projects that takes a considerable amount of time, are the aircraft D-M is known for, the A-10C Thunderbolt II.

"Painting an A-10 takes two weeks," said Airman 1st Class Jonathan Hart, 355th Equipment Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance. "One week to sand everything and one to paint. The whole reason why we paint the planes is to protect them from corrosion. We also want to have presentable planes. We don't want nasty looking planes flying around."

With all the A-10s on D-M, plus all the other equipment coming in for a fresh coat of paint, there's never a lack of work to do. It's a constant rotation of incoming aircraft.

"We do a full paint job on a plane once a month," Hart said. "We'll sand it down and mask it off with tape. We always start a plane with the landing gear because it's a different color. After that, we can cover that up, tape off the other areas of the plane and finish off with grey paint."

With a job of such magnitude, a group of Airmen often help with the daunting task.

"There are usually multiple people working on a plane," Hart said. "One person will work on one wing tip while someone works on the other. At the same time, an Airman is working on the front of the plane and another is at the back of it. We'll sand toward the center, finish up and check our work over for any spots we missed."

These aircraft are multimillion dollar machines. To get the most out of them, they need to be properly maintained. The process of adding paint to the aircraft ensures they have a long life-span.

"If we didn't paint these planes, corrosion would set in," Hart said. "They would rust up and the metal would begin to get eaten away. We use primer to stop that from happening. After the primer, we can then paint the planes to make them look presentable for D-M."

Although the process of painting an A-10 may be a long endeavor, for Airman Hart, seeing the finished product makes it all worthwhile.

"After that two-week process of repainting a plane and you get to see it when it's finished, it's a good feeling," Hart said. "You want people to look at it and say 'that's a nice looking plane.'"

Source

Friends and family greet pilot

The Press-Enterprise
Published: 31 March 2012 04:00 PM



Riverside residents Jan and Steve McKee greeted their son, Mike McKee, a U.S. Air Force major, on March 30, 2012, after he flew an A-10 Thunderbolt II jet fighter into the Riverside Municipal Airport. (Photo by Jerry Soifer, freelance photographer)

Riverside residents Jan and Steve McKee greeted their son, Air Force Maj. Mike McKee on Friday after he flew an A-10 Thunderbolt II jet fighter into the Riverside Municipal Airport for display at the Riverside Airshow, which was held Saturday.

More than 20 friends and relatives including Mike's first flight instructor, Steve Scott, were on hand at the airport to greet the hometown pilot.

Source

See also:
Riverside native soaring home for air show

Riverside native soaring home for air show

By Jerry Soifer, Correspondent
The Press Enterprise
Published: 24 March 2012 04:37 PM

U.S. Air Force Maj. Mike McKee, a Riverside native, will come home to help the city celebrate its 20th air show, an event he first attended as a Riverside Poly High student.

The show has had military participation every year, but McKee will be the first active duty airman from Riverside to take part with the jet fighter he flies.

Riverside Airshow Coordinator Tom Miller said, "We always thought it would be wonderful to have one of our home town boys come home bringing a real fighter jet with him. It (McKee coming home) doesn't get any better than that."

McKee, flying an A-10 Thunderbolt II, will accompany Maj. John Collier, also flying an A-10, to Riverside from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson, Ariz., where they are stationed. They will exhibit their planes on the flight line with about 200 aircraft. Collier will take part in a Heritage Flight with the P-38 Lightning, a World War II-era fighter, Saturday afternoon. Two Navy F/A-18s will also fly in and be on display.

McKee, 37, is a decorated combat pilot of the A-10, a twin-engine jet that was originally designed to take out Soviet tanks. When McKee fires the Gatling gun in the plane's nose, he said, "The entire aircraft rumbles violently."

McKee has flown in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the early days of the Iraq war in 2003, his A-10 was part of an attack on Iraqi anti-aircraft guns and surface-to-air missile sites defending the Baghdad Airport. He received an air medal for his role in the attack that enabled coalition forces to seize the airport quickly and secure the capital of Iraq.

McKee's parents, Steve and Jan, said they are thrilled to see their son fly the A-10 for the first time. They and Mike McKee's first flight instructor, Steve Scott, will be on hand Friday to see him land in Riverside.

McKee said the trip is as thrilling to him as it is to his parents. He said he's worked hard to draw the assignment to Riverside. While his Air Force colleagues bunk at the Mission Inn, McKee will stay at his parents' home, now in the Hawarden Hills.

"To show my jet up close will be a career highlight," said McKee. He especially wants to show his plane to Scott, who taught him how to fly a Piper Cherokee 20 years ago.

Scott, the safety officer of the Riverside Pilots Club, said he is not surprised that McKee grew up to be an Air Force pilot.

Scott said, "He caught on right away. It was his enthusiasm and natural feel for the controls. He was meant to fly."

The McKee family is rooted in Riverside. Steve McKee, also a pilot, served eight years on the Riverside Airport commission. Mike McKee said he intends to settle his wife, Kathee, and their three children, Olivia, 8, Caden, 5, and Lincoln, 3, in Southern California when his career, now at 15 years, in the service ends.

McKee was an honor student and a member of Poly High Class of 1993. He then gained an appointment to the Air Force Academy. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1997.

His love of military aviation took shape at his first home in Riverside, which was near March Air Force Base. The Cold War was on, and there were plenty of planes coming and going. The F-4 Phantom was his favorite.

"I've been looking at planes in the sky as long as I can remember," McKee said.

When he graduated from the academy he was given his first choice of assignments: Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, which at the time graduated only fighter/attack pilots at the base in Wichita Falls, Tex. The Air Force was in need of A-10 pilots when he graduated, so he was assigned to the A-10, not the sleek, supersonic jets he sought to pilot.

The A-10 is the ugly ducking of the nation's war planes. Its top speed is 420 mph, well below the speed of sound.

"Pilots affectionately call the A-10 the 'Warthog,'" said McKee. "It gained that reputation because of its unsightly and bumpy appearance, similar to a real warthog."

McKee added, "I feel truly blessed to fly the A-10. It's a fantastically fun aircraft to fly and it does its primary mission (close air support) plus a whole lot more. The aircraft was designed around a 30 mm Gatling gun, which is optimized to penetrate armor on Soviet tanks in the Cold War era … What it's like to fly the A-10 centers mostly on shooting the gun."

Shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, McKee was assigned with his squadron to the Al Jaber base in Kuwait. After Al Qaeda and Taliban forces were routed on the ground, he was one of the first American pilots to be transferred to the Bagram base in Afghanistan.

McKee was rotated back to Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. While stationed there he met Kathee, his future wife. He and Kathee planned a wedding in the summer of 2003. Then word came down that he would be sent to Kuwait to be ready for the start of the Iraq war. They decided to marry in the church where they had met.

McKee flew missions in support of Army troops as they moved up the corridor of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Iraq. As the Army moved toward Baghdad, he flew missions aimed at Iraqi military supplies. When the Army and Marines had Baghdad isolated, he said his plane took out Iraqi Republican Guard tanks, armored personnel carriers and other equipment from as low as 100 feet above the ground.

He has also served in South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines. Due to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan last year and a shift of U.S. personnel, he was put in command of U.S. Air Force personnel — 150 people — in the Philippines.

"(It was) a completely unexpected leadership opportunity which turned out to be very rewarding," said McKee.

Source

Please note: This news article is about Maj. Mike McKee and Maj. John Collier. Both of them are A-10C pilots with the 355th FW from D-M who will participate in the 20th Riverside Airshow on March 31, 2012.

355th Fighter Wing A-10Cs caught at D-M during Heritage Flight training March 2, 2012

At Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, Warthog News contributor Ned Harris from the United States had the opportunity to take the following shots:



Thunderbolts of two generations: P-47 Thunderbolt together with an A-10C Thunderbolt II from the 355th Fighter Wing. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size



Thunderbolts of two generations: P-47 Thunderbolt together with an A-10C Thunderbolt II from the 355th Fighter Wing. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size



P-47 Thunderbolt "Tarheel Hal". (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

Please note: More pictures will be uploaded soon.

355th Fighter Wing A-10Cs caught at D-M February 29, 2012

At Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, Warthog News contributor Ned Harris from the United States had the opportunity to take the following shots:



A-10C 79-0190 from the 358th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size



A-10C 78-0657 from the 358th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size



Lobo's RTB. Two A-10s over Catalina Mountains. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

Please note: A lot of more related pictures will be uploaded soon.

355th Fighter Wing A-10Cs caught at D-M February 23, 2012

At Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, Warthog News contributor Ned Harris from the United States had the opportunity to take the following shots:



A-10C 80-0280, still without unit markings. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size



A-10C 80-0280, still without unit markings. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size



A-10C 80-0181, still without unit markings. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size



A-10C 80-0142 from the 357th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size



A-10C 81-0939 from the 357th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size



A-10C 81-0961 from the 357th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

355th Equipment Maintenance Squadron fabrication

Released by 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs



U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Andrew Lucas and Airman 1st Class Jonathan Hart, 355th Equipment Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance, remove tape, paper and sheets of plastic from around A-10 landing gear after painting the aircraft at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Feb. 16. The whole process of painting one A-10 takes two weeks, one week to sand and one week to paint.

The fabrication shop at D-M consists of three separate areas which are aircraft metals technology, structural maintenance and the A-10 paint barn. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Washburn) Hi-res

Please note: For more related pictures please check the photo section of D-M's official website.

Ensuring quality munitions

by Airman 1st Class Saphfire Cook
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Hi-res

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brent Stockton, 355th Equipment Maintenance Squadron sorts rounds as they come out of the GFU-7 on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Feb. 8, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christine Griffiths) Hi-res

2/10/2012 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- When you step into the bay the prep work being done by the 355th Equipment Maintenance Squadron munitions section is reminiscent of the percussion-heavy show 'STOMP'. The clanging of aluminum resounds throughout the shop as Airmen remove canister lids and drag barrels into place. The crew is preparing to fire up the GFU-7, or what they call the "Dragon", and feed it belts of 30mm ammunition.

This particular shop in the 355th EMS munitions section is responsible for processing A-10 30mm ammo belts and ensuring that there are no empty rounds in the strip.

"The aircraft don't always expend the full can of 30mm rounds, "said Tech. Sgt. Sean Parker, 355th EMS production supervisor. "This leaves gaps in the belts and it's our job to replace these spaces with live ammunition."

The ammo processing shop works on a swing shift from 4 p.m. until midnight. They spend their eight-hour days moving canisters of unprocessed ammo through the GFU-07.

"Under optimal conditions, we average about one can every ten minutes," Parker said.

Doing the math, it comes out to about six cans an hour, or 48 cans a day.

"The cans of expended rounds are loaded onto the Dragon's rail system and fed into the machine," Park said. "There is a section in the machine that allows for spent rounds to fall through."

An unspent round still contains a projectile. When the rounds get to the chute, the projectile is what holds the unspent rounds in the machine. If there is no projectile, the rounds fall out of the machine and into a canister.

"We make sure that there is good ammo on the flight line," said Airman 1st Class Zachary Crabb, 355th EMS. "Providing quality munitions is vital to the mission."

Source

355th Operations Support Squadron Control Tower

Released by 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs



An A-10 takes off from the flightline on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Jan. 25. The control tower plays a vital role in ensuring safety of the pilots and the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Washburn) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 162 from the 354th Fighter Squadron.

Maintaining operational readiness

by Airman 1st Class Saphfire Cook
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

1/12/2012 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Aircraft not only fight wars, but they transport war fighters. This makes them an important factor to any deployment. During an operational readiness exercise the generation of aircraft is a major aspect. D-M held its first ORE of 2012 Jan 9-11 and the 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron played a pivotal role.

During an ORE, the 355th AMXS is broken up into cells. Each cell spends its days loading fuel tanks and munitions onto A-10C aircraft on the flightline.

"Our goal during an ORE is to generate 22 aircraft in 24 hours," said Master Sgt. Andrew White, 355th AMXS maintainer and the cell boss of Cell Six. Squadron members work 24-hour operations split into two 12-hour shifts to meet this deadline.

"These exercises are about practicing the steps required to deploy our A-10s to any overseas conflict," White said. "If a real-world deployment order dropped we would have to work around the clock to get the planes ready. So we try to play like we work."

During this 24-hour manning, the focus is kept on pumping out combat-ready aircraft.

"We have to strip the name from the aircraft for operational security reasons, check the in-flight refueling then load the guns," White said.

After the guns are locked and loaded, maintainers hang avionics pods, missile racks and a roughly 600-gallon external fuel tank that takes a minimum crew of three to lift.

A group of Airmen perform these tasks simultaneously, with it all culminating in a combat-ready aircraft.

"The planes cannot fly without all of its components, such as the engine, in working order," said Tech. Sgt. Omar Wright, 355th AMXS aerospace propulsion mechanic. "We maintain the parts so that the plane can fly. As long as the planes can fly, the mission gets done."

Airmen from the 355th Component Maintenance Squadron and 355th Equipment Maintenance Squadron collaborate with members of the 355th AMXS to ensure that all tasks were completed on time.

"It is a team effort from across the group and the wing to make a successful ORE happen," White said.

Source

354th Fighter Squadron Change of Command

Released by 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs



U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Samuel Milam, 355th Operations Group commander, passes the guidon to Lt. Col. Daniel Luce [on the right] as he assumes command of the 354th Fighter Squadron on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Dec. 16, 2011. Before assuming command of the 354th FS, Luce was the 355th Operations Support Squadron director of operations here on D-M. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Timothy D. Moore) Hi-res

Note: The "Hog" with 354th FS "Bulldogs" insignia in the background should be A-10C 78-0706, formerly assigned to the 357th Fighter Squadron and marked as 357th FS boss bird. Anybody who can identify the cartoon art on the ALQ-131 ECM pod? It looks to me like a raven. It is usual to apply such art on ECM pods at D-M?

355th Training Squadron change of command

Released by 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs



U.S. Air Force Col. Samuel Milam, 355th Operations Group commander, passes the guidon to U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kevin Eilers as he assumes command of the 355th Training Squadron on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Nov. 23, 2011. Before assuming command, Colonel Eilers was the 75th Fighter Squadron chief wing inspections, director of operations at Moody AFB, Ga. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Timothy D. Moore) Hi-res

Please note: If I'm right, pictured in this stand-alone news photo (titled "355th TRS CoC") is the 355th Operations Group guidon, and not a 355th TRS guidon. Question: Has been really established a 355th Training Squadron at D-M, alongside the well-known 354th, 357th and 358th Fighter Squadrons? Did I miss anything of their current wing structure?

Pilot for a Day

Released by 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs



U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christopher Odom, 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, explains to his daughter, Cailyn Odom, pilot for the day, the functions of the A-10 Warthog on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Oct. 28, 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christine Griffiths) Hi-res












Cailyn Odom, pilot for the day, experiences the A-10 simulator with U.S. Air Force host pilot Capt. Kelly Nettleblad, 354th Fighter Squadron, on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Oct. 28, 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christine Griffiths) Hi-res

357th FS Change of Command

Released by 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs



U.S. Air Force Col. Samuel Milam, 355th Operations Group commander, passes the guidon to Lt. Col. J. Tyler Gabriel as he assumes command of the 357th Fighter Squadron on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Oct. 28, 2011. Before assuming command, Gabriel was the director of operations of the 354th FS. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Timothy D. Moore) Hi-res

Kyle Dupuis: Pilot for a day

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Theodore Coiner, 357th Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations, poses with Kyle Dupuis in the 357th Fighter Squadron life support room on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Oct. 21, 2011. Kyle was made an honorary pilot for the Pilot for a Day program. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Timothy D. Moore) Hi-res

by Airman 1st Class Michael Washburn
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

10/28/2011 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Most Americans will never get the opportunity to fly a plane. Even for those in the Air Force, only a small percent are pilots. For 14-year-old Kyle Dupuis, his dream of being a pilot has become a reality as he toured D-M here Oct. 21, as a participant in the Pilot for a Day Program.

Kyle has a condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia. This means his adrenal gland is always pumping hormones into his body. He tries to regulate it through medication, but one of the side effects is that his bones are aging rapidly because of the treatments. In addition, Kyle also suffers from scoliosis. He has also had corrective surgery on his legs to lengthen his Achilles' tendons and to rebuild his feet and ankles, but after the surgery, has had trouble walking and cannot run.

Kyle is sponsored by the Kids Wish Network which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting the wishes of children between the ages of three and 18 who are living with life threatening illnesses. Kyle's only wish was to come to D-M, complete the Pilot for a Day program and visit his Uncle who is stationed at D-M, Staff Sgt. James Brumbaugh, 355th Logistics Readiness Squadron.

The day began by meeting 1st Lt. Matthew Babcock, 355th Training Squadron, at the visitors' center. From there, Lieutenant Babcock escorted them to the 357th Fighter Squadron where Kyle was greeted by Lt. Col. Theodore Coiner, 357th FS assistant director of operations. Because the program is called Pilot for a Day and not Civilian for a Day, Kyle was presented his very own flight suit, complete with a Pilot for a Day patch and one with his name. He was sworn in after reciting the Oath of Office and then proceeded to show his vast knowledge of aircrafts by identifying and talking about the many different pictures that lined the walls.

Throughout his day-long excursion of all things military, Kyle and his family were able to see and experience everything pilots get to use on an daily basis such as pilot helmets, breathing mask, night vision goggles, rockets and munitions that A-10s are loaded with. To get a first person view and feel of a fighter pilot, Kyle had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit of an actual A-10. They also received a military working dog demonstration from security forces and visited the fire department where he saw the Jaws of Life, the station itself and fire trucks. Even all his limitations due to his illness couldn't stop Kyle from conquering the powerful fire hose.

Kyle particularly enjoyed two areas he was introduced to during his day with the Desert Lightning Team.

The first was the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. AMARG is full of planes and helicopters, both old and new models. During the tour, Kyle was able to see different models of his favorite plane, the F-4 Phantom. Lieutenant Babcock said that during the tour, the tour guide kept trying to stump Kyle with aircraft knowledge, but was unable.

"He's very knowledgeable when it comes to past and present aircrafts," Lieutenant Babcock said. "He was smarter on aircrafts in terms of history and models than anybody I've met. When taking the tour of AMARG, he was able to identify every aircraft we saw, even those that were partially disassembled."

His other favorite was located at the Operations Group building. He was finally able to get some time with the A-10 simulator and try his hand at flying and both air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements. His knowledge of military aircrafts was once again put on display as he quickly and accurately named other aircrafts on the simulator.

"This was an incredible experience to be a part of," Lieutenant Babcock said. "Though Kyle may have some physical limitations, he makes up for them with intelligence. He is clearly passionate about planes and successfully mastered the aircraft encyclopedia. To me, this proves that each of us are given gifts to share, even if we are limited in other areas. I definitely learned more from Kyle than he learned from me."

The Pilot for a Day Program originated at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, in 1994 and has since been implemented at several other Air Force bases. Davis-Monthan hosted its first program participant in August 2000, and new program coordinators intend to organize and conduct one D-M visit per month.

Source

Load Crew of the Quarter competition at D-M

Released by 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs



DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. – (From left) Senior Airman Jonathan Counts, Staff Sgt. Kristopher Peacock, and Senior Airman Emilliano Kaku, Airmen from the 358th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, carry an AIM-9 training missile to an A-10 Thunderbolt II during the Load Crew of the Quarter competition here Oct. 14. Load crews from the 354th, 357th, and 358th AMUs competed in the competition. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Timothy D. Moore) Hi-res

Bulldogs and MXG return from Osan

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. – Lt. Col. Clarence Johnson, 354th Fighter Squadron commander, navigates an A-10 into a sunshade after returning here from Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea Sept. 19. Members of the 354th FS, as well as squadron assets and members of the 355th Maintenance Group, recently returned from a 6-month deployment in Osan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Timothy D. Moore)

by Airman 1st Class Saphfire Cook
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

9/20/2011 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Airmen from the 354th Fighter Squadron and the 355th Maintenance Group returned here from a deployment Sept. 19.

Pilots, maintainers and other personnel were deployed to Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea for a six-month tour.

Six A-10s piloted by members of the 354th FS taxied onto the D-M flightline around 3 p.m.

"I'm just so excited for him to come home," said Nicole Yoakley, whose husband Capt. William Yoakley, 354th FS, was one of the returning pilots. "I'm especially excited for him to see Claire, our daughter, because she's grown so much since he's been gone."

As the pilots pulled into separate sunshades, the families were told which jet contained their loved-one.

"She's gotten so big, and she talks so well now," said Captain Yoakley of Claire Yoakley after he'd greeted his family.

Personnel and equipment from the 354th FS and 355th MXG arrived in a C-17 at approximately 6:45 p.m. and were bused to the hangar where their families waited.

"He's been gone for seven months," said Rhonda Zielinski of her husband Chief Master Sgt. Michael Zielinski, 354th Aircraft Maintenance Unit.

Also in the welcoming party was Chief Zielinski's grandson, Isaiah, who was born while he was deployed.

"This is the first time he's going to see Isaiah in person, so we can't wait for him to get off that bus," Mrs. Zielinski said.

Returnees piled off the bus and were warmly welcomed by family members, co-workers and commanders.

"The only pictures I've ever seen were from when he was first born," Chief Zielinski said. "He's grown so much already."

Before the families were released for the night, Col. Mark Murphy, 355th Maintenance Group commander, had a few words for the returnees.

"I just wanted to personally thank you all for your service to this great country," Colonel Murphy said. "Welcome home."

Lt. Col. Terry Koester, 355th Aircraft Maintenance Group commander, had a message for the spouses.

"Thank you to the spouses and families who came out for this homecoming," Colonel Koester said. "While your Airmen have been away working hard and fighting the good fight, you all have been here taking care of the home front."

The pilots, personnel and equipment from D-M were deployed to Osan to help with the defense of the Republic of Korea and to maintain stability in Northeast Asia.



DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. – Capt. William Yoakley, 354th Fighter Squadron A-10 pilot, greets his family as he returns here from a deployment Sept. 19. Captain Yoakley just was on a six-month deployment at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Timothy D. Moore) Hi-res

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