726th integral to training success

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Shane M. Phipps
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  The wing is playing host to members of various services during the annual Mountain Roundup exercise, to include the German Air Force, now through March 23.

Mountain Roundup focuses on simulating multi-national and multi-service forces to achieve military objectives and even serves as the final stage of training for the Fighter Weapons Instructor Course for the German air force, which is comparable to the U.S. Air Force Weapons School and the Navy's "Top Gun" course. These training objectives however, could not be completed without the ground assistance of the 726th Air Control Squadron.

"We are contributing vehicle support so the flight crew can accomplish their training missions," said Master Sgt. Christopher Schoen chief of plans and programs, 726th ACS. "We have 45 personnel on convoys consisting of five-ton trucks and Humvees executing about 116 miles of open terrain, allowing the planes to simulate an attack on our ground forces."

The 726th spared no expense when it came to providing the time, equipment and people essential to making the exercise as realistic a training experience as possible.

"We will provide three convoys per day for five days, totaling 15 convoys in all," explained Schoen.

More than 300 sorties will be conducted during the course of this two week exercise, providing flight crews an invaluable training experience which would not have the same real-world impact without the dedicated contributions of the Airmen of the 726th.

"It feels good to know my squadron is contributing so much to the successful training for so many different flight crews," said Senior Airman Tony Wisecup, radio frequency transmission systems journeymen with the 726th ACS.

Along with helping to ensure the success of this exercise, the Airmen of the 726th are also receiving a unique experience themselves.

"It is an excellent opportunity for the 726th ACS to participate in Mountain Roundup 2012, and it's an honor to serve with the German air force and the other branches of our U.S military team," declared Schoen.