Innovation integral part of 3rd Wing mission

by Air Force 1st Lt. Matthew Chism
JBER Public Affairs

8/30/2013 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- In the 3rd Wing, innovation is the mission.

Airmen expect to encounter and overcome challenges. In the arctic environment, Airmen commonly compete with sub-zero temperatures, near 24-hour darkness, remote training areas, and rapid weather changes.

In addition to these challenges, Airmen continue to achieve mission requirements while working through the difficulty of sequestration, which reduced budgets and services while workloads increased due to cutbacks on our civilian teammates.

Regardless of unusual or extreme hardships, Air Force success has historically been a direct result of Airmen who possess the vision to develop new and improved solutions to the most challenging of scenarios. Two pertinent solutions implemented by 3rd Wing Airmen include the F-22 Raptor 3.1 upgrade implementation and the 3rd Wing Turkey Shoot competition.

Increment 3.1 upgrade
The Raptor 3.1 upgrade provides the 3rd Wing with the most advanced and, by extension, the most combat-capable F-22s in the entire Raptor fleet.

"The 3.1 upgrade gives pilots the ability to employ a more precise battlefield solution utilizing the ability to map an area, real-time ability to retarget weapons, among other capabilities," said Troy McCanless, 3rd Wing F-22 field services.

This upgrade directly spurred two 3rd Wing innovations. First, 3rd Wing Airmen developed a plan which kept the aircraft where they were needed most, in the 3rd Wing.

"Traditionally, depot bases like Hill Air Force Base, Utah would take on an installation like this," McCanless said. "You're talking about a large amount of money that was saved on costs like support tankers associated with performing this at another location. The wing also would not have had those aircraft available during the time of the install."

The 3rd Maintenance Group considered numerous planning variables for the F-22's capability expansion, identified scheduling deficiencies, and developed an organic upgrade plan to keep the F-22s at JBER.

The 3rd Operations Group have ownership of the second 3.1 upgrade innovation as, 3rd Wing F-22 pilots create the newest tactics to best optimize these new capabilities literally on the fly. Pilots from the 90th and 525th fighter squadrons, along with their 302nd Fighter Squadron Total Force Integration partners, are using each flying hour on the Alaska practice ranges to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures for this newest upgrade, which will eventually become doctrine for the rest of the Raptor fleet when they become 3.1 capable.

"This upgrade gives combatant commanders a tremendous advantage. It provides a self-contained, precision strike capability combined with a low-observable fighter platform," said Air Force Maj. Nick "Conan" Sigler, 525th FS.

Turkey Shoot
During the 3rd Wing-wide Turkey Shoot competition, Airmen worked in teams to prosecute an attack on hostile air units to control the battle space.

"Teams rarely have an opportunity to integrate and compete with other squadrons across both groups in a complex training scenarios such as this, except for the two Turkey Shoots each year", said Air Force Capt. Herman "TC" Norwood Jr., 3rd Operations Squadron chief of E-3 Sentry tactics.

Innovative Airmen sought to take advantage of the 3rd Wing's unique integration opportunity. Previously, F-22s were the only airframe to compete in the Turkey Shoot Competition. Today, the 3rd Wing planners built a competition to incorporate nearly every maintenance and operations squadron within the Wing and across three airframes: F-22, C-17 Globemaster III, and E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.

"This combined event maximizes efficiency by aligning training over four days that would normally take weeks," Norwood said. "This training is exceptionally different because this is one of a very few wings where there are three different mission-designation series (aircraft type) to do this kind of integrated training."

The Turkey Shoot Competition was also an opportunity to incorporate 3rd Wing maintainers into the scenarios.

"The competition was the idea of innovative young captains who ran with it," said Air Force Col. David Nahom, 3rd Wing commander. "They turned their vision into an incredible opportunity for our Airmen to take advantage of unique training to showcase their talents. Perhaps most importantly, the competition also built camaraderie and teamwork between ops and maintenance."

During the past eight months, Air Force personnel have seen an increased emphasis on innovative ideas. The Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark Welsh, initiated the drive outlining his vision for the Air Force, "Powered by Airmen, Fueled by Innovation."

"It highlights Airmen as the source of our strength as a service, and it outlines the five enduring contributions that will continue to guide us as we move forward, no matter what happens in - with the fiscal realities of the future," Welsh said.

Nahom said encouragement for innovation should come from every level, adding "Our fiscal challenges will drive opportunity for our great Airmen to innovate and find solutions. which will ultimately better posture forces for the Pacific Air Forces commander. The Turkey Shoot was an incredible event to watch as it showcased the ability of 3rd Wing Airmen to succeed in the most challenging scenario."