USAFE pilots get MPEPed

  • Published
  • By Jennifer McDaniel
  • United States Air Forces Europe Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (USAFENEWS) --  Officers from almost any specialty, and a few NCOs, can receive the opportunity to live and work the life of a foreign air force member through the Military Personnel Exchange Program (MPEP), which allows several nations to learn how each other's Air Force operates.

Maj. P.K. Carlton, currently serving as a United Kingdom Royal Air Force Typhoon instructor pilot, took his first solo flight in a Typhoon last May while assigned with the Royal Air Force. He is assigned to Royal Air Force Station Coningsby, the RAF's premier fighter station.

Through MPEP, the U.S. Air Force builds, sustains and expands international relationships that are critical for its Expeditionary Air and Space Force. MPEP allows the Air Force to exchange personnel in equivalent grades and specialties with foreign nations, enhancing its ability to perform coalition operations with global partners.

The goals of the program include promoting mutual understanding and trust; enhancing interoperability through mutual understanding of doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures; strengthening Air Force-to-Air Force ties; and developing long-term, professional and personal relationships.

Major Carlton - who is an F-16 pilot by trade - said both jets fly very similar. "The biggest difference is in the RAF's 'rules to fly by,'" he said. Each country has different aircraft regulations and all pilots participating in the program must be knowledgeable about those variations, which can include differences in approach and takeoff distances.

Countries currently involved in the program with the Air Force include France, Italy, Spain, Jordan, Denmark, and Norway...but it doesn't stop there. There are currently 166 Air Force exchange positions involving 163 officers and three NCOs in 23 countries; however, all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces have similar programs in place.

U.S. Air Force personnel assigned to MPEP must integrate completely into the host nation's Air Force. All participants must be able to fluently speak the native language of the host country, whether it's in Korean, Dutch, Thai, Arabic, or "Aussie" if you're down under.