LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Team Langley deployed 12 F-22 Raptors from the 27th Fighter Squadron and nearly 250 personnel to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, June 2 for approximately four months.
The deployment is a "remarkable representation of total force integration," said Col. Dirk Smith, commander of the 1st Operations Group. Airmen from the Virginia Air National Guard's 192d Fighter Wing accompanied 1 FW pilots and support personnel on the deployment.
"Seventy percent of the guardsmen deploying are traditional part-timers," said Col. Bryan Turner, 192 OG commander. "They'll have the opportunity to work alongside the 1st [Fighter Wing]'s team and really get to know each other. It is an invaluable partnership."
Smith also applauded the support efforts of the 633d Logistics Readiness Squadron in seamlessly deploying the team during a period of increased operations tempo.
"Those guys got us packed up and in the air right after bedding down our other two fighter squadrons from their assignments and in the midst of preparing to welcome two visiting F-16 units, all in a week," he said. "It's a testament to their hard work and attention to detail, from Airmen all the way up to lieutenant colonels."
The F-22 is a transformational combat aircraft that can avoid enemy detection, cruises at supersonic speeds, is highly maneuverable, and provides the joint forces an unprecedented level of integrated situational awareness.
As part of continuing force posture adjustments to address worldwide requirements, the United States continues to deploy additional forces throughout the Western Pacific as part of U.S. Pacific Command's Theater Security Package. This is the latest example of the flexibility U.S. forces have to meet their ongoing commitments and security obligations throughout the Pacific region.