For the first time in its history, the Air Dominance Center, a training facility at an Air National Guard base here, is being used in an operational capacity in support of hurricane relief operations.
The center is postured as a training facility for units to conduct air-to-air combat training missions for fourth- and fifth-generation fighters for the Air National Guard and the active duty Air Force, as well as for the Navy and Marine Corps.
"We usually have airlift aircraft arrive for exercises along with the fighter jets -- usually to transport personnel and equipment to maintain the fighters," said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Brian Saxon, chief enlisted manager of the Air Dominance Center. "The 165th Airlift Wing has a ramp that is painted for C-130 Hercules parking. The ADC, on the other hand, has a ramp painted for fighter jets. This means the airfield management and transient alert crews really have to be highly skilled to watch for things like wingtip safety and clearances."
Around-the-Clock Manning
The ADC has staff manning the personnel support for contingency operations line. The base's dining facility and billeting office are being manned 24 hours a day.
"When we were first told that we would be going into 24-hour operations, my first thought was, 'Yes! This is what I joined the guard for,'" said Air Force Master Sgt. Tameitra Bryant, the center's financial management superintendent.
"I couldn't be more proud of our team," said Air Force Col. Emmanuel Haldopoulos, commander of the Air Dominance Center. "We've perfected the exercises that we host. But there was no playbook for our most recent mission. We relied on our team's hard-work, experience, creativity, and determination of the airmen of the ADC and the 165th AW to make it happen."