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Airmen, assigned to the 180th Fighter Wing, Ohio Air National Guard, board a C-130 Hercules before deploying to Patrick Air Force Base for winter training, at the 180FW in Swanton, Ohio Jan. 25, 2019. The Patrick AFB deployment will be a mutually beneficial exercise that brings together two ANG units with dissimilar fighter aircraft to conduct a variety of air-to-air operations and sharing of best practices. (Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Hope Geiger)

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Airmen assigned to the 180th Fighter Wing, Ohio Air National Guard, sit in the back of a C-130 Hercules before taking off to Patrick Air Force Base at the 180FW in Swanton, Ohio Jan. 25, 2019. As part of the Patrick AFB deployment, the 180FW will conduct Dissimilar Air Combat Training, Basic Fighter Maneuvers, Defensive Air Counter Tactics and Tactical Intercept missions alongside F-15 Eagles assigned to the 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts.

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Master Sgt. Kim Nagel, a Human Resources Officer, assigned to the 180th Fighter Wing, Ohio Air National Guard, issues identification tags, commonly referred to as dog tags, for Senior Airman Kathryn Dobbs, a medical technician, also assigned to the 180FW, during the Personnel Deployment Function at the 180FW in Swanton, Ohio Jan. 25, 2019. The 180FW is deploying to Patrick Air Force Base to conduct Dissimilar Air Combat Training, Basic Fighter Maneuvers, Defensive Air Counter Tactics and Tactical Intercept missions alongside F-15 Eagles assigned to the 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts. (Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Hope Geiger)

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Tech. Sgt. Steve Azzopardi, a customer service personnel, assists Staff Sgt. Tom Reece, a medical technician assigned to the 180th Fighter Wing, as he processes luggage during the Personnel Deployment Function at the 180FW Swanton, Ohio Jan. 25, 2019. The 180FW prepares its Airmen for a deployment to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, to develop and enhance interoperability, force integration and understanding of our sister service units. (Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Hope Geiger)

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Airmen check in their luggage during the Personnel Deployment Function at the 180th Fighter Wing Swanton, Ohio Jan. 25, 2019. The Airmen traveled to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida where they will be performing daily training, conducted in realistic environments under realistic circumstances, ensuring our forces maintain the highest levels of proficiency and readiness for worldwide deployment. (Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Hope Geiger)

180FW Deploys to Patrick AFB for Winter Training

Published Feb. 5, 2019
By Senior Airman Hope Geiger
180th Fighter Wing, Ohio Air National Guard

Swanton, Ohio -- The 180th Fighter Wing deployed more than 130 Airmen to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, Jan. 25 to Feb. 9, 2019, to develop and enhance interoperability, force integration and understanding of our sister service units.

As part of the Patrick AFB deployment, the 180FW will conduct Dissimilar Air Combat Training, Basic Fighter Maneuvers, Defensive Air Counter Tactics and Tactical Intercept missions alongside F-15 Eagles assigned to the 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts.

This deployment allows our pilots to conduct Force Integration sorties, training with dissimilar aircraft, and other fourth generation fighters like the F-15 Eagle.

During the cold winter months in Ohio, the 180FW is able to maintain its mission ready capabilities by traveling to locations such as Patrick AFB. The 180FW is the only F-16 fighter wing in the state of Ohio, whose mission is to provide for America; protection of the homeland, effective combat power and defense support to civil authorities, while developing Airmen, supporting their families and serving in our community.

This training provides the strategic agility needed to fight against a formidable and aggressive adversary in a continually strained fiscal environment. Daily training, conducted in realistic environments, under realistic circumstances, ensures our force maintains the highest levels of proficiency and readiness for worldwide deployment. The 180FW continues to be a great value today and in the future.

The 180FW is always mission focused, and our success is achieved through the critical Airmen who power the finest equipped and best valued fighter wing in the Total Force. The Patrick AFB deployment will be a mutually beneficial exercise that brings together two ANG units with dissimilar fighter aircraft to conduct a variety of air-to-air operations and sharing of best practices.