Eglin fighters shine at Bright Star

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. David Tomiyama
  • 33rd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  The 33rd Fighter Wing here was the Air Force’s lone fighter unit in Egypt to participate in the joint-combined training exercise Bright Star 05/06.

The exercise, which began Sept. 10 and ends Oct. 3, is U.S. Central Command’s largest coalition exercise. It tests theater engagement activity and boosts readiness and interoperability between U.S. forces and those of nine other countries. The last Bright Star exercise was in 2001. The wing departed Egypt on Sept. 28.

Eglin sent six F-15C Eagle fighters from the 58th Fighter Squadron to Beni Suef Air Base, located 100 miles south of Cairo, Egypt. The unit sent 20 Airmen from its operations group and 107 maintainers

For many of the pilots, it was their first chance to fly against the MiG-21.

“That was one of the big things -- pilots could fly against a true MiG,” said Chief Master Sgt. Paul Bieber of the 33rd Maintenance Group. “It’s not too often -- unless it’s a combat mission -- that they’re going to get to fly against a MiG.”

Besides fixing aircraft, the maintainers supported the Navy, Marine Corps and Jordanians, lending tools and aerospace ground equipment.

The last time Eglin maintainers deployed overseas was in 2003 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the past, maintenance troops rotated regularly to the former Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, and to Turkey to support Operation Northern Watch. With that mission gone, exercising in Egypt gives maintainers a chance to receive deployment experience.

“These young kids coming in, and even the staff sergeants and some of the technical sergeants, have never had an opportunity to deploy,” Chief Bieber said. “When you deploy, there’s a whole lot more to doing it than going to Vegas or going to Tyndall. When you forget something, you live without it. There’s a lot of learning and lessons learned in deploying to an overseas, bare-base type environment.”

At Beni Suef AB, Airmen worked out of an old shelter and tents they set up. The 96th Air Base Wing here provided support. This was the first time the fighter and support wings deployed overseas together since Operation Desert Shield, Chief Bieber said.

The exercise allows the countries to work and learn from each other’s wartime tactics. One of the biggest reasons for having Bright Star is to continue strengthening U.S.-Egyptian bonds.