CONTACT: 1st Lt. Greta Lewis or Captain Anthony Bucci, 315-233-2651.

FOR RELEASE: Friday, Mar 20, 2009

ON SITE: 1st Lt. Greta Lewis or Captain Anthony Bucci, 315-233-2651.

WHO:

174th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Kevin Bradley and other members of the 174th Fighter Wing.

WHAT:

HANCOCK FIELD, NY (03/18/2009)-- Syracuse-based New York Air National Guard fighters and ground crew will play the opposing force against the Air Force's most modern fighter, the F-22Raptor, in a major Air Force training exercise in Nevada, March 21-April 5. This will be the last time the Syracuse fighters deploy before the unit begins operating unmanned Reaper attack aircraft. Col. Kevin W. Bradley, 174th FW Commander and Lt. Col. David S. Brenton, Deployment Commander will explain the mission to members of the media on Friday afternoon at approximately 1230. Media will have the opportunity to interview deploying ground crew personnel prior to their departure on Saturday morning at approximately 1130. Members of the media will also have the opportunity to observe the fighters departing on Saturday morning at approximately 0930 as well as the C-5 later that morning.

WHEN:

11 a.m., Friday, March 20.

WHERE:

Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, 6001 E. Molloy Rd., Syracuse.

Coverage Opportunities: Members of the media will have the opportunity to observe and speak with Airmen preparing for the deployment. B-roll of 174th FW F-16s and F-22 Raptors in flight will be available. Interested news agencies should contact 1st lt. Greta Lewis at 315-233-2651 no later than 10 a.m. . on Friday, March 20 and to gain access to this secure military facility. Media members should be present at the Thompson Road Gate (Intersection of Thompson and East Molloy Road) no later than 11 a.m. to gain entrance to the facility.

BACKGROUND:

The 174th Fighter Wing will send 6 F-16C Fighting Falcons and just under 90Airmen to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada to serve as the opposing force in theAir Force's Weapons Instructor Course aerial combat training exercise. TheAirmen will fly to Nellis AFB aboard C-5A Galaxy transport aircraft pilotedby the New York Air National Guard's 105th Airlift Wing, based at Stewart AirNational Guard Base, Newburgh.This will be the last deployment of F-16s from Hancock Field before the wingtransitions to the operation of the MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Weapons Instructor Course: The USAF Weapons School traces its roots to the Aircraft Gunnery Schoolestablished in 1949 at Las Vegas Air Force Base (which became Nellis AirForce Base in 1950). This organization brought together a cadre of World WarII combat veterans dedicated to teaching the next generation of pilots. TheGunnery School converted to combat crew training to meet the needs of theKorean War. The mission of the USAF Weapons School or United States Air ForceWeapons School, is to teach graduate-level instructor courses, which providethe world's most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment toofficers of the combat air forces. The USAF Weapons School, headquartered atNellis Air Force Base, in Nevada F-22A Raptor: The F-22A Raptor is the Air Force's newest fighter aircraft. Its combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics, coupled with improved supportability, represents an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century Air Force. The fighter is made by Lockheed Martin and Boeing . The F-22A has a significant capability to attack surface targets. In the air-to-ground configuration the aircraft can carry two 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions internally and will use on-board avionics for navigation and weapons delivery support. In the future air-to-ground capability will be enhanced with the addition of an upgraded radar and up to eight small diameter bombs. The Raptor will also carry two AIM-120s and two AIM-9s in the air-to-ground configuration. 174th Fighter Wing: The 174th Fighter Wing traces its history back to the 138th Fighter Squadron of the New York Air National Guard which was formed in October 1947 and flew World War II-era P-47 D Thunderbolts. In the 1950s the unit began flying jets, first operating the F-84 Thunderjet and then the F-86 Sabre. The unit was mobilized in 1961 in response to the Berlin Wall crisis and served in Germany for two years on active duty. When it returned it was renamed the 174th Fighter Wing. In 1968 the wing was activated again when North Korean naval forces captured the USS Pueblo. In 1988 the 174th began flying F-16A Fighting Falcons and in 1991 it fought in the Persian Gulf War. The 174th has repeatedly deployed Airmen and aircraft to the Middle East, most recently in the summer of 2008 and is due to begin operating the unmanned MQ-9 Reaper attack aircraft in 2010. Photo Cutlines: F-16 The first F-16 fighter jets taxi out to the runway for takeoff from Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, NY. Two F-16 fighter jets left Hancock Field, and will find a new home at Edwards Air Force Base, California. This signifies the 174th Fighter Wing's transition to the MQ-9 Reaper mission. (Photo taken by TSgt Jeremy Call, 174th Fighter Wing) F-22 Lt. Col. James Hecker flies over Fort Monroe before delivering the first operational F-22A Raptor to its permanent home at Langley Air Force Base, Va., on May 12. This is the first of 26 Raptors to be delivered to the 27th Fighter Squadron. The Raptor program is managed by the F-22A System Program Office at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Colonel Hecker is the squadron's commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ben Bloker)

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