Artist captures Eielson mission change on canvas

  • Published
  • By Don Fenton
  • 354th Fighter Wing History Office
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) --  An artist recently captured the mission evolution at Eielson in an oil painting. Capt. Warren Neary, an Air Force reservist assigned to the Air Force Space Command history office, completed an oil painting that depicts the change in mission at Eielson and the 354th Fighter Wing. The painting is named "The First Iceman Aggressor."

The mission at Eielson is changing as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process. Originally, the BRAC committee recommended Eielson be placed in a "warm status," in other words, closed. With the help of the local community, Eielson was spared although base officials were notified of impending changes.

The first change involved the 355th Fighter Squadron and their A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. The A-10s first arrived at Eielson on Dec. 18, 1981. Since then, they have participated in operations around the globe, from Iraq and Afghanistan to Korea. However, that came to an end Aug. 15 as the last three A-10s lifted off the Eielson runway for the final time. The 355th FS will inactivate very soon.

The second part of the change involved Pacific Air Force's premier flying training exercise Cope Thunder, renamed Red Flag - Alaska in the spring of 2006. As a result, 18th Fighter Squadron Airmen learned they would be converting from operational F-16 Fighting Falcons to F-16 Aggressors. Aggressors play a key adversarial role in Red Flag exercises.

The F-16s have called Eielson home since March 7, 1991, and they also have deployed worldwide. This includes deployments over Iraq, Afghanistan and most recently, in support of Operation Noble Eagle.

With the arrival of the first Aggressors scheduled for February 2008, the 18th FS will soon be redesignated as the 18th Aggressor Squadron, thus beginning a new chapter of Eielson history.

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