494th completes TLP training
By Staff Sgt. Emerson Nuñez, 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
/ Published October 07, 2016
LOS LLANOS AIR BASE, Spain -- U.S. Air Force and allied partners completed multi-lateral training for NATO Tactical Leadership Programme 16-3 here, Oct. 7.
The 494th Fighter Squadron participated in the month-long training, which focused on preparing flight leaders to become coalition air force mission commanders with instruction on tactical composite air operations and opportunities to develop tactical air expertise.
"We were primarily out here building partnership with our international allies,” said Capt. Brian Valichka, 494th FS weapons systems officer. “We participated in intensive training and learned how to better work together to solve tactical problems we might see in the future."
This exercise allowed the participating nations to work together and operate as a more efficient team.
"The ability to be here, with multiple nations briefing, debriefing, planning for hours on end, and then seeing how that plan was executed, is extremely beneficial from a tactical and partnership standpoint," Valichka said. "Seeing how other countries do business and then being able to show them how we do business, is the best way forward."
Training programs like TLP are an example of how U.S. forces work side-by-side with NATO Allies and partners every day, training to meet future security challenges as a unified force.
"Everything has gone very well, support from TLP staff has been amazing, the scenarios have been thoroughly thought through and executed by the students," said Lt. Col. Zachary Bartoe, 494th FS director of operations. "We learned a lot at this exercise, including how to integrate with other air forces."
TLP has become the focal point for NATO’s allied air forces tactical training, and is formed under a Memorandum of Understanding amongst 10 NATO nations – Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S.