LANGLEY AFB, Va. –
Airmen with the 94th Fighter Squadron train to keep the skies over America's East Coast safe this week.
The squadron is exercising its alert capability, which allows the unit to scramble jets by getting pilots airborne to confront threats within minutes of notification.
Although the average citizen may not be aware of it, this is one of the 1st Fighter Wing's core missions.
"We are guarding you all the time," said Col. Pete Fesler, 1st FW commander. "This is something your Air Force does, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year."
To accomplish the goal of launching F-22s Raptors at a moment's notice and intercept aerial threats, maintenance Airmen must have the aircraft ready to go at all times.
"Day-to-day you know what time you are taking off," said Chief Master Sgt. Angus Garner, 1st and 192nd FW inspector general superintendent. "In the event of an alert, it is just the push of a button and you've got to scramble and get to the jet.
"We really have to execute flawlessly to make sure we can get the guy in the seat, start the airplane, get it out of the chocks, and in the air to its target."
Often times, Garner explained, the objective is to escort an aircraft, which may have lost radio communication and is not responding to request to leave restricted airspace; however, that is not always the case.
"Of course you know there [could be] terror threats," Garner said. "If there is an intel threat, then they say, 'hey we got the word,' and we will put the appropriate number of planes in the air.
"Worst-case scenario would be a shoot down, but best case scenario, we make contact with that particular plane or the individual that has high jacked it and direct them to the airfield."
As the wing practices to overcome these scenarios throughout the week, the public may notice some unusual flying hours.
"If we scramble our airplanes after the normal flying hours, it almost would seem like night flying but it wouldn't be the constant several airplanes going," Garner said. "It would probably be a couple of airplanes throughout the night."
Although the exercise generates unusually stringent requirement for 1st FW Airmen, Garner emphasized the importance of the mission and training for it.
"We are testing our core mission requirements to go and defend air space at a moment's notice," he said. "It's just the nature of trying to prevent another 9/11."