Tyndall's T-38s bring back Beagles

by Airman 1st Class Alex Echols
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

8/26/2014 - TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.  -- The American Beagle Squadron returned to Tyndall after being deactivated for four years.

The 325th Operations Group Adversary Air program became the 2nd Fighter Training Squadron during a reactivation ceremony Aug. 22. This marks the return of the famed World War II American Beagle Squadron which originally joined Team Tyndall in 1974.

"The second was chosen because it has historical ties to Tyndall," said Lt. Col. Derek Wyler, 2nd FTS commander. "I am honored and excited to take command of a squadron with such a long, rich history is really an honor."

The new 2nd FTS' mission is to provide would class adversary threat replication enabling Team Tyndall to train and project unrivaled combat power.

The Beagles fly T-38 Talons as adversaries against Tyndall's F-22 Raptors pilots during their training. The T-38 costs around six to seven times less than the F-22 to fly. So, flying the T-38 as threat replication against the F-22 instead of an F-22 versus an F-22 saves thousands of dollars for each hour it is flown.

Flying T-38s not only saves money, it also conserves Tyndall's F-22.

"The Air Force is not getting any more F-22s," said Wyler. "Every hour we fly on that airplane is an hour that we never get back. If we can save all those hours for mission training, it preserves the lifespan of those airplanes."

The 2nd FTS now has 18 T-38s with 16 assigned pilots as well as 20 pilots assigned to other squadrons on base that fly for them.

"Originally the T-38s were embedded within the existing squadrons here at Tyndall, but as our mission grew in both airplanes and pilots, it became clear that the operation had become large enough to create a separate squadron," said Wyler.

The 2nd FTS now makes it easier to manage its operation by streamlining the command and control structure.

"I think it is a huge step forward for this program," said Lt. Col. Karl Schluter, 2nd FTS director of operations. "We've grown significantly from our initial vision both in size and scope. It was the logical next step that this program evolved into a squadron, and we were pretty excited to bring the 2nd back."

Former American Beagle Col. Max Marosko, 325th Operations Group commander, presided over the ceremony.