The 477th Fighter Group Looks Back at 2013

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Dana Rosso
  • 477th Fighter Group Public Affairs
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska --  The 477th Fighter Group has made through another year, 2013 was a busy year full of significant accomplishments and a list of firsts for the organization. Here is a look back at some of the events that made up 2013.

JBER's first NCO leadership development course-Jan. 18
The 477th Fighter Group graduated its first Noncommissioned Officer Leadership Development class. Ten NCOs from the Alaska Air National Guard 176th Wing and nine from the Air Force Reserve 477th Fighter Group attended this course which is a combination of college level management and leadership instruction and practical hands on military application training targeted to mid-level enlisted personnel in a Citizen Airmen centric culture.

Alaska Reserve unit stands up Security Forces Squadron-Mar. 1
The 477th Security Forces Flight reached a new milestone when it transitioned to a squadron under the 477th Fighter Group here March 1. Once the squadron reaches fully operational capability in 2015 the squadron will deploy as a unit. Until then they will be supporting their active duty counterparts on JBER.

POLAR FORCE: 477th Fighter Group tests combat readiness alongside TFI partners-Apr. 5-8
The 477th Fighter Group participated in Polar Force 13-3, a two-phase operational readiness exercise designed to test the unit's ability to deploy on short notice as well as to operate and survive in a wartime environment. This is the first time that the Air Force Reserve 477th Fighter Group has fully participated alongside the Active Duty 673rd Air Base Wing and 3rd Wing as well the Air National Guard 176th Wing, demonstrating Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson's commitment to Total Force Integration.

Reserve team wins JBER F-22 Load Crew of the Year -May 17
Three Reservists from the 477th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron were recently awarded the 2012 JBER F-22 Load Crew of the Year during a ceremony here May 17. This is the first time that a crew comprised of three Air Force Reserve members has won the JBER F-22 Load Crew of the Year. Tuttle, and Vice are both full time Air Reserve Technicians working each day alongside the 3rd Wing load crews. Baker is a traditional reservist who fulfills his Reserve commitment one weekend a month and two weeks a year

Reserve CES repairs World War II era airfield
Over 50 Reservists assigned to the 477th Civil Engineer Squadron completed repair work on a World War II era airfield during their annual tour May 27 - June 8. Every year the members of the 477th CES use their annual tour to support an Innovative Readiness Training project. The purpose of the IRT is to improve military readiness while simultaneously providing quality services to communities throughout America.

Civilian furloughs begin-12 July
Congressionally-mandated furloughs of more than 700 civilians locally and some 680,000 Department of defense civilians worldwide began July 8. Civilians here were required to take 11 days of unpaid leave between July 8 and Sept. 30, resulting in a 20 percent pay reduction during that period. The furloughs were part of Department of Defense-wide budget cuts due to sequestration.

"Spirit of Tuskegee" adorns Alaska Reserve F-22 flagship
An F-22 here has been transformed into the 477th Fighter Group flagship with the words "Spirit of Tuskegee" painted across the tail, a nod to the units Tuskegee Airmen heritage. Coordination began in 2011 to have the Reserve flagship tailflash painted with "Spirit of Tuskegee" to recognize the accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen. A flagship is a dedicated aircraft with the name of the unit commander and dedicated crew chief's names painted on the aircraft. The 477th Fighter Group was previously the 477th Bombardment Group, a Tuskegee unit activated in 1944. The group's 302nd Fighter Squadron historically was part of the 332nd Fighter Group, also known as "The Redtails" the famous all-black unit that fought both American prejudice and the axis powers in Europe.

Innovation advances F-22 as strategic force in the Pacific
The newest strategy in fighter employment will enable combat-ready F-22's to rapidly refuel, rearm, and redeploy. The new concept was demonstrated here during a joint exercise held in August. The usual method of deploying fighters is structured around large footprint packages to a select few operating bases. The new rapid response force concept was developed by Lt. Col. Kevin Sutterfield, a Reserve F-22 pilot assigned to the 477th Fighter Group.

Force support squadron earns AFRC awards
Air Force Reserve Command named the 477th Force Support Squadron's military personnel program best in the command and bestowed top honors to its operations officer Dec 6. For the second year in a row, the squadron's military personnel section earned the AFRC-level Gerrit D. Foster, Jr., Award, which is awarded annually, at the end of the fiscal year, to the command's top military personnel program. The AFRC Directorate of Personnel and Manpower Programs announced the awards in a memorandum.

During 2013 the 477th Fighter Group...
Gained 82 Air Force Reserve members
Processed 719 travel vouchers through finance
Completed 373 physical health assessments
Resolved over 1500 communication trouble tickets
Fired more than 4,680 during Combat Arms Classes held on UTA weekends
Members received over $53,700 in Tuition Assistance
And the Fighter Squadron flew the Raptor for 85 sorties totaling 138 flying hours in UTA status