SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – A convoy of tactical vehicles from the 606th Air Control Squadron undergo preparation here May 3 for an Eifel Thunder exercise. The exercise will test the ability of Airmen to take all their equipment to a simulated deployed location where they will live and work as if they are on a real deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nick Wilson)
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Airman 1st Class Vincent Mattocks, 606th Air Control Squadron surveillance technician, loads cargo onto a tactical vehicle here May 3 in preparation for an Eifel Thunder exercise. The exercise will test the ability of Airmen to take all their equipment to a simulated deployed location where they will live and work as if they are on a real deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nick Wilson)
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Tech. Sgt. Shannon Loring, 606th Air Control Squadron Combat Operations Alpha Flight NCO in charge, supervises Airmen as they perform maintenance on a convoy of tactical vehicles here May 3 in preparation for an Eifel Thunder exercise. The exercise will test the ability of Airmen to take all their equipment to a simulated deployed location where they will live and work as if they are on a real deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nick Wilson)
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Airman 1st Class Victoria Sutherland, 606th Air Control Squadron surveillance technician, pumps air into the tire of a tactical vehicle here May 3 in preparation for an Eifel Thunder exercise. The exercise will test the ability of Airmen to take all their equipment out to a simulated deployed location where they will live and work as if they are on a real deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nick Wilson)
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – An Airman pumps air into the tire of a tactical vehicle here May 4 in preparation for an Eifel Thunder exercise. The exercise will test the ability of Airmen to take all their equipment out to a simulated deployed location where they will live and work as if they are on a real deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nick Wilson)
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Airman 1st Class Darryl Wilson (left) and Senior Airman Case Nielson (right), 606th Air Control Squadron surveillance technicians, load cargo onto a tactical vehicle here May 3 in preparation for an Eifel Thunder exercise. The exercise will test the ability of Airmen to take all their equipment to a simulated deployed location where they will live and work as if they are on a real deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nick Wilson)
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Capt. Michael Solowiow, 606th Air Control Squadron air weapons officer, performs an inspection on a convoy of tactical vehicles here May 3 in preparation for an Eifel Thunder exercise. The exercise will test the ability of Airmen to take all their equipment to a simulated deployed location where they will live and work as if they are on a real deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nick Wilson)
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Airman 1st Class Carlos Rangel, 606th Air Control Squadron client systems apprentice, drives a tactical vehicle after inspecting it here May 4 in preparation for an exercise called Eifel Thunder. The exercise will test the ability of Airmen to take all their equipment out to a simulated deployed location where they will live and work as if they are on a real deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nick Wilson)
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Airman 1st Class Carlos Rangel, 606th Air Control Squadron client systems apprentice, performs a vehicle inspection checklist here May 4 in preparation for an Eifel Thunder exercise. The exercise will test the ability of Airmen to take all their equipment out to a simulated deployed location where they will live and work as if they are on a real deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nick Wilson)
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Airman 1st Class Darryl Wilson, 606th Air Control Squadron surveillance technician, performs maintenance on a tactical vehicle here May 4 in preparation for an Eifel Thunder exercise. The exercise will test the ability of Airmen to take all their equipment to a simulated deployed location where they will live and work as if they are on a real deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nick Wilson)
by Senior Airman Nick Wilson
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
5/6/2011 - SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Airmen from the 606th Air Control Squadron here are preparing for Eifel Thunder May 9-16.
Eifel Thunder is a field exercise in which Airmen take all of their equipment to a simulated deployed location to live and work as if they are on a real deployment.
"This is getting our experience level way up as far as how to do our mission when we deploy and take our equipment with us," said Senior Master Sgt. Dennis Wilson, 606th ACS modular systems flight superintendent.
This training will differ from the 606th ACS's other exercises because instead of convoying to a location where equipment is already set up, Airmen will be convoying to a location where they will be required to set up their equipment and living quarters.
"We've been tasked to pack our equipment, mobilize it and convoy out [to our location]," Sergeant Wilson said. "Everyone will take their equipment with them, and when we get there, they'll set it up."
This will be the first exercise of its kind the air control squadron has participated in since 2007.
According to Sergeant Wilson, the squadron hasn't had the ability or the time for an exercise of this scale due to deployments and their operations tempo.
With three convoys and 61 vehicles, approximately 198 personnel will be simulating a "deployment."
"We're taking everyone who's fit to deploy, and we're taking more than we're tasked to take because we want to get as many people as we can out to the field to get them the experience they need," Sergeant Wilson said.
One of the main things Airmen will need before the exercise is the necessary training to deploy.
"We're trying to ensure they're all trained up and know all of their wartime tasks just like we would if we were about to deploy," Sergeant Wilson said. "We need to make sure we've got everything that we need to do our job in the field."
Comments
5/10/2011 9:29:00 AM ET I miss the 606th it was a good assingment I rememember the deployments it would always rain and by the way the saying that we started at the 606th was Who you Wit
