U.S. and Bulgarian airmen train together

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chris Stagner
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
GRAF IGNATIEVO AIR FORCE BASE, Bulgaria (AFNS) --  Airmen and F-15 Eagles from the 48th Fighter Wing are participating in an exercise with airmen from the Bulgarian air force here.

Sentry Gold is designed to provide members of the U.S. and Bulgarian air force the opportunity to learn from each other and increase their respective NATO interoperability.

The Bulgarian air force pilots fly MiG-21s and MiG-29s. The opportunity to see these aircraft up close and personal is something most pilots may never experience.

"We simulate fighting MiGs all the time," said Lt. Col. Skip Pribyl, from the 493rd Fighter Squadron and deployed commander. "Being here allows us to really see them in action."

Flying in Bulgaria provides other opportunities Airmen don't have back at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, in England.

"Training here allows us to fight over terrain, and that allows us to test some defensive measures we can't test over water," Colonel Pribyl said.

For the Bulgarians, the exercise brings their home-station training to a new level.

"Sentry Gold increases the realism of our combat training," said Bulgarian air force Lt. Col. Yuri Lukanov, a Graf Ignatievo flight operations scheduling chief. "We get to see how a unit with a tested and proven combat history does things."

Airmen here are doing more than just learning about flying. They're also building partnerships with Bulgarian airmen.

"These are our NATO partners and allies, and being here allows us to support their continued NATO integration and defense reform initiatives," said Col. Scott Reed, the 48th FW vice commander.

The building partnership capacity between the two air forces goes beyond the cockpit. All aspects of combat support, to include maintainers, air traffic controllers, flight schedulers, and life support specialists, will work hand in hand during the exercise.

"The Bulgarians have an emerging capability in NATO, and this allows us to strengthen that capability," Colonel Pribyl said. "Ultimately these are guys we could be tasked to fight with side by side."

"We don't deploy outside our country's borders, so this allows us to study the most efficient ways to move our combat units," Colonel Lukanov said. "Training together with (members of U.S. Air Forces in Europe) and the U.S. pilots moves us closer to NATO standards."