EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Gorillas from the 58th Fighter Squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, traveled to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, to conduct off-station training July 17 - Aug. 3, 2024.
The objective of this temporary duty was for the F-35A Lightning II Basic-Course students to complete the missionized sortie phase of their capstone.
“The B-Course takes student pilots who have completed undergraduate pilot training and teaches them the basics of flying and tactically employing the F-35,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Hunter Wade, F-35A student B-Course pilot. “The Offensive Counter Air/Strike phase of the syllabus fuses many of the part-task sorties we previously accomplished, meaning more variables and requiring a higher level of critical thinking. However, we were well prepared to fly in a different, dynamic environment and adapted quickly as a collective whole.”
By traveling to Alaska, the 58th FS was able to conduct sorties in new terrain and airspace, while mitigating home station weather attrition.
“Eielson is an excellent choice for training because of the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex or the JPARC,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Ryan Thulin, 33rd Operations Group Commander. “It provides an unprecedented level of training and resources for our B-Coursers to learn and practice the cutting edge of offensive counter air and strike tactics.”
Operating in the JPARC also benefits instructor pilots from a developmental standpoint.
“We are familiar from a fundamentals perspective of Agile Combat Employment, but most of us who have been at Eglin for a while, have not executed it like the 356th FS has in the Indo-Pacific theater,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Matchett, 33rd OG Deputy Commander. “We're here to learn from them to develop those skills and mindsets, so that we can internalize it and introduce it to our next B-Coursers as they get ready for the future fight.”
ACE is an innovative approach that emphasizes flexibility, adaptability, and the effective utilization of Mission-Ready Airmen to forge future combat air power.
“With support from the 354th FW OG and Maintenance Group, we were able to leave our aircraft back at Eglin,” said Col. Thulin. “This allowed us to do training simultaneously at Eglin AFB along with Eielson AFB generating an unprecedented number of sorties over the two weeks here and maximizing the training opportunities at both operating locations.”
Overall, the 58th FS flew 240 sorties combined for the Alaska and Florida operating locations. This is 125 more sorties flown than expected at home station.
“We depart Alaska as a better F-35 formal training unit, closer oriented towards Indo-Pacific threats, familiarized with ACE operations and synchronized with operational combat squadrons,” said Matchett. “Not only are the students better prepared for Great Power Competition, but our instructors also sharpened their skills to improve the lethality of our graduates.”