Gulf Defender Friday, December 9, 2016 tyndall.af.mil gulfdefender.com 325FWTyndall FAMILY ADVOCACY TYNDALL HOSTS CHECKERED PROGRAM | PAGE 2 Supporting Airmen and their families. FLAG 17-1 AND COMBAT ARCHER 17-3 The 325th Medical Group Mental By Tech. Sgt. Javier Cruz Health Flight’s 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Family Advocacy Program enhances TYNDALL AIR FORCE Air Force readiness BASE — The skies over by promoting family Tyndall will soon be filled and community with F-35A Lightning IIs, health and F-22 Raptors, F-15E Strike resilience through Eagles, F-16 Fighting Fal- multiple services. cons, HH-60G Pave Hawks, and command-and-control aircraft like the E-3 Sentry. The aircraft will be a part NEW AIRMEN | of Checkered Flag 17-1 and PAGE 11 Combat Archer 17-3, concur- rent large-scale total force Becoming an aerial integration exercises Airman in the that will run Dec. 5-16. operational Air Units will be evaluated Force can be a on their ability to mobi- lengthy process lize, integrate, deploy and U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Riley Ellison, 95th Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew chief, checks an F-22 depending on employ combat air power Raptor’s engines before take-off at Tyndall Air Force Base. During Checkered Flag 17-1, Tyndall’s Airmen the career fi eld. assets on a much larger scale will share the fl ightline with personnel from Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; Mountain Home Air Periodically than most other exercises. Force Base, Idaho; Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; Eglin Air Force Base Florida; and Tinker Air Force Base, throughout an The exercise focus will Oklahoma; as well as members of the Florida and Louisiana Air National Guard. U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY Airman’s career be on the tactical integra- STAFF SGT. ALEX FOX ECHOLS III there are several tion of three fighter squad- programs dedicated rons and select units. and 325th Air Expeditionary Oklahoma. The Florida Air As a force provider, Air to building Air Combat Command Wing commander. “Rapid National Guard and Loui- Combat Command pro- or furthering established the 325th Air global mobility begets air siana Air National Guard vides organization, training professional Expeditionary Wing for the and space superiority at a will also provide air assets and equipment to maintain military education. duration of the exercise, which pace and place our adversar- during the exercise. combat-ready forces for rapid will operate from Tyndall AFB. ies are heavily challenged The units will integrate to deployment and employ- “The nature of air power to adequately defend.” form a large scale total force ment to ensure strategic includes speed, surprise, Air power assets will come integration element and air defense forces are ready maneuver, and focused fire- from six Air Combat Com- provide the 325th AEW with to meet the challenges of F-22 photos ................ 7 power. Units from greatly mand installations: Tyndall the ability to execute rapid peacetime air sovereignty Veterans helping .........10 dispersed locations are AFB, Florida; Shaw AFB, global mobility, precision and wartime air defense. Family Budget ............ 12 able to rapidly assemble to South Carolina; Mountain engagement, and air and space “Checkered Flag is an Nightlife ...................14 form a formidable airpower Home AFB, Idaho; Moody superiority in a training envi- outstanding opportunity for Classifieds ........... 15-16 team,” said Col. Randall W. AFB, Georgia; Eglin AFB ronment -- three core compe- Cason, 44th Fighter Group Florida; and Tinker AFB, tencies of the U.S. Air Force. See HOSTS, 3 2 Friday, December 9, 2016 | Gulf Defender FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM Supporting Airmen and their families Airman 1st Class “The Family Advocacy Cody R. Miller Program provides 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs programs and services each day to our military TYNDALL AIR FORCE families in an eff ort to BASE — The 325th Medical promote awareness, Group Mental Health Flight’s advocate for non-violent Family Advocacy Program communities and enhances Air Force readiness enhance our population’s by promoting family and com- knowledge and personal munity health and resilience strengths for building and through multiple services maintaining airmen and geared toward education and family wellness.” counsel. “The Family Advocacy —Michelle Lasater Program provides programs and services each day to our military families in an effort to 325th MDG Mental Health promote awareness, advocate Flight family advocacy nurse. for non-violent communities “We provide new parents with and enhance our population’s home visit lessons on infants’ knowledge and personal growth and development, strengths for building and infant care and childcare coun- maintaining airmen and seling. We also answer any family wellness,” said Michelle question in general on child Lasater, 325th MDG Family care during classes we hold the Advocacy outreach manager. last Tuesday of each month at “Although, we offer special- the 325th Medical Group.” ized services for individuals Tyndall’s New Parent Sup- facing an abusive situation, port Program also supports we offer ongoing support to parents at Naval Support our families as they transition Activity Panama City. through key phases of life, such “Our goal is the education as dating, marriage, becoming and support for the families a new parent and during times so that we can have healthy, of loss, such as divorce.” resilient communities within Some of these services the military,” Vance said. “We include child raising edu- do have a set schedule, but if cation services, outreach someone needs us to come later programs and anger manage- at night we’ll try and work with ment classes. All these have them.” the common goal of making the For Tyndall families living home life of Tyndall’s Airmen off base, the program will also better. support visits in the in the area. The New Parent Support There are approximately 30 Program is a voluntary educa- parents enrolled in the pro- tion program for any parents gram and they are looking to with a child under age 3. The add more to improve the mili- expectant and new father knowledge base and build- systems that our military goal is to educate and prepare tary community in the Panama courses. ing a skillset is a great way to population has that the civil- new parents for pregnancy, City area. Participants may sign up for improve one’s ability to make ian community doesn’t, is the birth and infant care through The Family Advocacy Pro- the courses by contacting the a healthy choice when faced Family Advocacy Program. the first three years of life. gram also offers classes in Family Advocacy Group at with adversity,” Lasater Our vastly experienced and “We take care of active duty childbirth preparation, breast (850) 283-7511. said. “Life is unpredictable, expert staff is readily avail- families,” said Dale Vance, feeding preparation, and “Improving one’s and one of the best support able to assist when needed.” Gulf Defender | Friday, December 9, 2016 3 designated name for the U.S. combat air-to-air operations. The 83rd Fighter Weap- related activities. HOSTS Air Force’s air-to-air Weap- “Our primary purpose is ons Squadron hosts 12 to 14 “Practicing integration ons System Evaluation Pro- to provide experience for the Combat Archer evaluation of airborne assets is abso- Continued from 1 gram under the 83rd Fighter pilots and aircrew to deploy periods annually, and the lutely key, you have to be Weapons Squadron, will and employ live weapons training period typically lasts able to function together save resources and provide a from their aircraft versus two weeks. The program as a team,” Cason said. combat units to familiarize unique training battlefield for simulated munitions,” said evaluates over 200 fighter “We’re bringing the entire and synchronize in order to over 50 aircraft and support Lt. Col Jeffrey Rivers 83rd aircraft and 4,000 Airmen air power team together to become even more effective personnel from different Air Fighter Weapons Squadron each year, and employs more ensure everyone is working in their combat missions,” Combat Command units. commander. “In addition to than 300 air-to-air missiles. from the same playbook to Cason said. “In short, it builds The primary objective of ordinance we also train with The evaluation is all-inclu- accomplish the mission.” a better combat team.” a typical Combat Archer aerial gunnery to provide the sive, covering everything The exercise will run The combination of is to prepare and evaluate pilots with real world experi- from the aircraft itself to air- for approximately two Checkered Flag 17-1 and operational fighter squad- ence on how those munitions crew and support equipment weeks and conclude Combat Archer 17-3, the rons’ readiness for executing interact with the aircraft.” to technical and maintenance before the holidays. 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Maxwell, Tyndall’s first com- assigned units, and has been “In December 2005, the By Senior Airman mander, swung the first ax home to more than 65 types of Raptor was designated as the Solomon Cook l against one of many stubborn aircraft.