RAF Mildenhall, French air force continue relationships
RAF MILDENHALL, England – Lt. Col. Robert Ricks, 100th Air Refueling Wing director of staff, shows French air force Maj. Sebastien Pages the cockpit of a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft flight simulator here Jan. 5, 2012. A group of French airmen visited the base as part of efforts to maintain and strengthen U.S. and French air force working relationships.
Related Topics (6)
-
1
United Kingdom
-
2
France
-
3
U.S. Air Forces in Europe
-
4
Ready Forces
-
5
Partnerships
-
6
Military-to-Military Engagement Program
More related topics
RAF MILDENHALL, England - -- The 100th Air Refueling Wing hosted 15 French air force personnel from Base Aérienne 125, Istres, France, here Jan. 4 and 5, to build and strengthen partnerships created during Operation Unified Protector.
During OUP, BA 125 was home to the 351st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, comprised of 100th ARW Airmen, KC-135 Stratotankers and other Air Mobility Command assets.
Lt. Col. Robert Ricks, former 351st EARS commander and current 100th ARW director of staff, said that one of the most important lessons the 351st EARS learned was the value of trust.
Ricks said relationships improved vastly while the unit was deployed to Istres.
"As we got to know each other a little better, we came to amicable solutions because we trusted each other," said Ricks. "The French partners knew that when we were asking for something, it was something that we really needed and couldn't get ourselves. They were very helpful and responsive."
At BA 125, the French air force flies the KC-135 and C-135FR Stratotanker, which is are same airframes as the 100th ARW flies, but with a different avionics suite, explained Ricks.
"One day there was a knock at my door, and it was some French pilots that I've never seen before and they asked to see our tanker," said Ricks. "Once I got everything coordinated, we brought over their air refueling squadron to see a static display of our aircraft."
Ricks said that in addition to the air refueling squadron, the 351st EARS also arranged several static displays for the French air force academy and delegates from the French air staff.
During the visit here, the French personnel received a tour of the 351st Air Refueling Squadron, a mission brief and an opportunity to fly in the KC-135 flight simulator with the newer Block 40 cockpit.
"It was a pleasure to work with the French air force," said Maj. David Brown, 100th ARW plans and programs. "I think this tour built on an already strong relationship."
In the near future, Ricks and Brown hopes that the relationship will continue to grow when the French are invited back to RAF Mildenhall for the Air Refueling Symposium in May.
"In the long term, the goal is for us to be ready for any future conflicts and for us to operate together even more seamlessly than we have in the past," said Ricks. "Hopefully we can keep this relationship going so when we work together, we can make both nations stronger in the way we do air refueling."
Find more articles tagged with:
- U.S. Air Forces in Europe
- USAFE
- partnership
- Royal Air Force Mildenhall
- KC-135 Stratotanker
- United Kingdom
- France
- Air Force
-
Saber Junction tests U.S., partners’ interoperability
Approximately 1,800 forces from 18 European nations train for the post-Afghanistan fight using the U.S. Army’s most-current doctrine for unified land operations. At the Grafenwoehr Training Area, also called GTA, and Hohenfels Training Area, or HTA, and more than 1,300 square miles in-between installation facilities 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, also known as 2CR, engages a complex enemy.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Parliament tour encourages cross-nation partnership
Leadership from the 52nd Fighter Wing toured the Rheinland-Pfalz parliament in Mainz Oct. 10, 2012.Find more articles tagged with:
-
REEPing the rewards of energy conservation
More than $6 million was spent on Royal Air Forces Lakenheath, Mildenhall and Feltwell base housing utilities in 2011.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Despite the cold: U.S. military partnerships key to Arctic crisis response
The scenario used during SAREX 2012— a multinational exercise held recently in Greenland’s eastern sea – tested military and civilian capabilities for search and rescue missions above the Arctic Circle. Meanwhile, during exercise Northern Eagle, a U.S. Navy destroyer joined Russian and Norwegian vessels in the Barents Seas to prepare for similar rescues, plus anti-piracy operations and joint air defense.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Civic leaders receive preview of Baumholder's future
Leaders of the U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder, the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and local civic leaders came together for a garrison hosted civic leaders working luncheon recently in the Rheinlander Community Club to discuss issues affecting the military and civilian communities.Find more articles tagged with:
-
USACE forward engineers train with Italians
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Forward Engineering Support Team-Advance (FEST-A) conducted training and remote engineering missions in partnership with Italian Army Reconnaissance Engineers here September 9-21, 2012.Find more articles tagged with:
-
EIAMDC officially opens
The Warrior Preparation Center opened the European Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony here Sept. 26.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Princess unveils WWII memorial at RAF Greenham Common
Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, The Princess Royal officially dedicated three memorial stones for U.S. Visiting Forces at the Greenham Business Park in Greenham Common, United Kingdom, Sept. 21.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Exercise Jackal Stone 2012 leaders, participants honor fallen SF comrade
Military members and civilians from the U.S. and Croatia honored the late Master Sgt. Ivica Jerak, a member of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, with a small memorial service held in his native town of Debeljak, Croatia, Sept. 22, 2012.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Schweinfurt flexes combat capability muscle with NATO exercise
Despite its announced closure earlier this year, the U.S. Army garrison here still has something to prove: Pitted between closing and remaining operational, it can also host a large-scale NATO exercise in its own backyard.Find more articles tagged with:
Comments: 0