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‘Operation 3rd Lt.’ gives cadets a chance to experience real-world deployment

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Carolyn Viss
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Nineteen cadets from the senior class of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., are visiting the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing during the month of June to experience an active-duty deployment as part of the academy's Operation Air Force program, which allows students to visit bases around the world each summer.

From out processing back in the states - including computer-based training, immunizations, and firing weapons - to getting their hands dirty in maintenance back shops and shadowing pilots, these "third lieutenants" and their cadre are getting the full experience here.

"You can't teach this in a classroom," said Maj. David Higginbotham, officer in charge of the "Ops Air Force" program. "This is an expeditionary Air Force. When you raised your right hand, you didn't commit to going to your base of preference for 20 years. You are signing up to be worldwide deployable."

"The people who made this visit possible are in the squadrons," said Capt. Justin Hsia, wing plans and programs executive officer and the coordinator of this year's cadet visit. "Our goal was to expose them to as many different functions as possible, and it's been a phenomenal opportunity for them to learn. Because no matter how many exercises you participate in, a look at a deployed environment will teach you more than you could ever learn stateside."

Spending about two weeks in the maintenance units and another two with operational flying squadrons, with a few branching out to medical, communications, security forces, contracting, and space/missiles, the cadets are learning the teamwork it takes to keep the Air Force mission going.

"As far as developing an appreciation for what people do in the [area of responsibility] is concerned, this is the single most important experience we could have," said Cadet Liam Conley, cadet-in-charge. "We've got cadets out there marshalling aircraft, scheduling sorties, performing maintenance, refueling jets, and even fixing the refrigerators that store blood at the transshipment center here. We've had a chance to do something that's a solid contribution to the war effort."

Their deployment experience here, including their interactions with sister-service and coalition missions, is "unprecedented" by any other AFA program, Cadet Conley said. "It hits home to go out there and see the [Combined Air and Space Operations Center], Aussies, tornados, the embassy and state department. It puts a new spin on our idea of a 'coalition' experience."

"Sitting down and talking with sister services and coalition partners really shows how we all have a unique and valuable role in the mission," Cadet Conley said.

"It's very refreshing and energizing," Cadet Caroline Tetrick agreed. "At the Academy, you're a little sheltered from the war. Being in an academic environment day to day makes you feel a little disconnected from the active-duty lifestyle; but out here, something as simple as changing a brake on an aircraft has real mission impact. This isn't a training mission. They're out there dropping real bombs on real targets."

It also gives cadets the opportunity to work alongside Airmen they will lead and work for in the future, said Master Sgt. William Hutto, the enlisted leader of the group. Nineteen more cadets are scheduled to visit the wing in July.

"I've never been in an operational squadron [before], and other than knowing that they fly, I don't really know what they do," said Caroline Tetrick, a visiting cadet who has a pilot slot waiting for her when she graduates from the academy with a degree in behavioral science and leadership this spring. "Seeing the ops tempo here is really good because I get to see what I'll really be doing [when I commission]."