Aircrew training squadron shapes crews for AWACS mission

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Vicky Cerino
  • Nebraska Air National Guard
GEILENKIRCHEN NATO AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) --  A cooperative spirit is alive at the home of the aircrew training squadron for the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System mission here.

The squadron is NATO’s only E-3 training squadron. Every alliance AWACS mission begins with training here.

Squadron Airmen provide basic and upgrade training to the crews, who ultimately work in the operational squadrons at the E-3 main operating base here, and forward-operating locations in Trapani, Italy; Aktion, Greece; Konya, Turkey; and Oerland, Norway.

“Everyone who is part of the E-3A aircrew team comes through here. We take pride in that. We gain the talent of those from 13 nations [and] train them on the basics and how to work together as a crew,” said Lt. Col. Scott Forest, squadron commander.

Since it began in 1981 squadron Airmen have trained military and civilian people from 13 alliance nations. They use flight and mission simulators to train an average of 250 aircrews a year for NATO’s E-3 Airborne Early Warning and Control Force.

Once trained, they join NATO colleagues from 12 other countries to provide airborne early warning and control of airspace for NATO and alliance-designated countries.

“We monitor radar and look for all and any airborne flying aircraft to track and identify who they are and what is the extent of their capabilities. We can’t see everything, though the goal is to be able to see and track everything,” Colonel Forest said. “With radar and sensors, we pick up then relay information to command and control on the ground and in the air.”

Once a month, 20 to 25 students enter the squadron for basic or upgrade training in one of 15 different crew positions. The average student spends four to six months in training, Colonel Forest said.

Students arrive at the school with varying degrees of knowledge and experience. Some are right out of flight school, some have never been exposed to any flying and others have never seen an E-3 aircraft. Training begins with academics, then moves into simulator training and finally the flying phase.

The squadron flies a combination of training and operational missions and conducts 15 to 20 simulator training sessions a month.

“Students come here to get all the knowledge and experience they need to be part of the team,” Colonel Forest said. “Some of our students are … learning … their second or third language. It’s a pleasure to watch them grow and become an aircrew.

“All the high-tech equipment we have means nothing if we don’t have a team that works together effectively. It’s an immense challenge,” Colonel Forest said.

The commander said he is fortunate to have talented instructors in the squadron.

“I’m extremely impressed,” he said. “They are diverse and have great depth of experience. Some have been here 15 years.”

The workload of the squadron is high in an effort to help alleviate aircrew shortages, Colonel Forest said.

“That’s part of what this process is about,” he said.

One of the unique aspects about the school is that students go through educational blocks at their own pace. They graduate every week.

Canadian air force Maj. Michael Collacutt is training for the position of tactical director. He is responsible for management, command and control decisions on the E-3.

This is his second time stationed here. His job as tactical director is to direct and coordinates activities onboard the aircraft.

“I’m like a traffic cop directing and redirecting information to provide battle commanders information,” Major Collacutt said. “I’m responsible for everything that happens. It’s fun. I have a ‘tool box’ of skills that I reach into and pull what I need to make an operation work.”

He said the environment at the training squadron is unique.

“We work with a broad spectrum of language and knowledge backgrounds,” Major Collacutt said. “It’s a difficult thing to do, but it’s tailored at each individual’s own pace to allow for different learning styles and capabilities. But we’re moving in the same direction.”

Like his fellow students, Major Collacutt will regularly deploy for one to two weeks to the forward-operating bases.

“You work at different bases to learn how to operate. You need to learn how to do a mission before you go into battle,” he said.