Eagle CountryBy Senior Airman Christopher S. Sparks, 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England — One of the more popular aircraft assigned the 48th Fighter Wing is “The King” F-15C Eagle, the last remaining heritage jet at RAF Lakenheath. The aircraft were painted to honor the 48th Fighter-Bomber Group, which flew World War II P-47 Thunderbolts, in support of operations in Europe, including the Invasion of Normandy June 6, 1944.
This website contains the story behind the world’s best ” interceptor” and “strike” fighter.
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By Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew, 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Uvda Air Base, Uvda, Israel — Twelve F-15E Strike Eagles along with 262 Airmen attached to the 48th Fighter Wing, 494th Fighter Squadron from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England deployed to Israel in support of exercise Juniper Falcon from May 7 – 22, 2017.
The 494th conducted Defense Counter Air integration training with the Israeli Air Force designed to improve Israel’s qualitative military edge through air readiness; while building on the enduring partnership between the U.S. and Israel.
“This exercise was important for the 48th Fighter Wing because it gave us an opportunity to train with an important partner that we don’t always get to train with,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Evan Pettus, 48th Fighter Wing commander. “We were able to build upon our interoperability as a force and increase our confidence that we can employ together cohesively should the need ever arise.”
These training sorties, which focused on air interoperability, gave the 494th “Mighty Black Panther” pilots the chance to take part in flying operations unique to the region; allowing them to become more familiar with the airspace that their Israeli allies are charged to protect.
“It’s important to continue these types of exercises because, one of the great strengths of our Air Force is to be able to work with our partners and increase our interoperability and mutual understanding of each other’s tactics,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Alfaro, 494th Fighter Squadron detachment commander.
Juniper Falcon 17 represents the combination of several bi-lateral component/ Israeli Defense Force exercises that have been executed annually since 2011. These exercises were combined to increase joint training opportunities and capitalize on transportation and cost efficiencies gained by aggregating forces. Juniper Falcon, together with Juniper Cobra (held during opposite years), is part of the annual exercise continuum between United States European Command and the IDF.
By Airman 1st Class Eli Chevalier, 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published February 21, 2017
Airmen come and go, and deployment locations change, but over the last quarter of a century, one thing has remained constant at RAF Lakenheath: the combat air power projected throughout Europe and Africa from the 48th Fighter Wing’s F-15E Strike Eagles.
Col. Evan Pettus, 48th FW commander, said the 25th anniversary is a special milestone.
“This milestone is a reminder of the breadth and depth of the U.S. commitment to our partners and allies in NATO,” he said. “The Strike Eagle was our Air Force’s most modern machine when it landed at RAF Lakenheath 25 years ago, and it’s been upgraded continuously ever since. Today’s F-15E is far more lethal than ever before.”
While assigned to RAF Lakenheath, the Strike Eagle squadrons have supported combat operations in locations including Iraq, the Balkans, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Libya, and have participated in exercises at more than 20 nations around the world.
By Senior Airman Lynette M. Rolen, 18th Wing Public Affairs / Published February 13, 2017
As a fifth grader growing up in Arkansas, all Jordan Carr could think of was becoming a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force.
Now 1st Lt. Jordan Carr, 67th Fighter Squadron pilot, has finally achieved his childhood dream.
“We had to do a newspaper article about what we wanted to do for our future career,” said Carr. “I wrote about how when I grew up, I wanted to be a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. From then on, I thought, ‘Ok, now everything I do, I can work toward this and always have a goal, even if it’s super long-term and I’m only a fifth grader, I can make it happen.’”
Throughout all of this time, over 16 years, Carr had support from his family, especially his two older brothers who have successful Air Force careers.
Carr further stated the guidance and encouragement provided by his family and role models kept him on his path to becoming a fighter pilot.
Carr graduated from the University of Arkansas’ Air Force ROTC program in 2013.
Now, he’s a fighter pilot who’s living out his childhood dream and is living proof of how long-term goals can be achieved.
“It feels great knowing if you set a goal, anything is possible,” said Carr. “Much like any other career, achieving the initial title is just the beginning and now you essentially have a license to learn. Every day is a constant reminder that you can learn something new, polish a skillset, or focus on a weak point in order to better yourself and others.”
As a reminder of his childhood goals, Carr’s mother kept the article from his childhood to the present day.
“When I came out here, my mom framed the newspaper article from fifth grade,” said Carr. “I’m living the dream. There are a lot of fun things about being a fighter pilot. It’s exhilirating to fly fast and be tactically minded during the flight, but it’s also a lot of hard work.”
In addition to flying, Carr monitors several additional duties. Although it’s hard work, Carr commented he enjoys his job and finds it rewarding.
“Carr’s most notable characteristic is his positivity,” said Capt. Gregory Schroeder, 67th FS weapons officer. “He’s never pessimistic and his positive demeanor influences everybody else. He works with maintainers frequently and is a great wingman.”
Carr enjoys working with maintainers because it provides him with an opportunity to share his enthusiasm about his job.
“One of my favorite parts of the job is being able to share it with others,” said Carr. “When we do incentive flights for the maintainers, you’re able to showcase what their hard work is going toward. It’s an awesome way to thank them.”
Carr said he also enjoys sharing information about his job with his family.
“It’s always fun to tell them what’s going on,” said Carr. “Especially when my two older brothers speak the language (of being a pilot) and we can talk about the nature of the work and the fun things about it.”
“The 18th Wing is successful because Airmen like 1st Lt. Carr are not satisfied with the status quo,” said Capt. Robert Hendrick, 67th FS assistant director of operations. “He has spent long hours during the week and many weekends at the squadron preparing for training missions and ensuring the rest of the squadron has the tactical tools to succeed.”
Hendrick further commented Carr’s dedication helps the 67th FS maintain a tactical edge and contributes to 18th Wing mission success.
“There are a lot of little cogs that make up the big picture,” said Carr. “I think it’s easy to get tunnel vision, so it’s important to step back and realize we’re all part of a team. No community is better than another. Remaining humble keeps our (Eagle) team performing at a high level while encouraging positive integration with other units.”