Green Flag complete: Shaw pilots, maintainers return home

An KC-10 Extender, assigned to Travis Air Force Base, Calif., sits on the flight line after returning from Green Flag 17-2 at Nellis AFB, Nev. with F-16CM Fighting Falcon pilots and 20th Aircraft Maintenance Unit Airmen at Shaw AFB, S.C., Nov. 10. Green Flag is an exercise that provides air-to-ground operational training, flying F-16s out of Nellis AFB to support U.S. Army troops in Fort Irwin, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class BrieAnna Stillman)

Green Flag complete: Shaw pilots, maintainers return home

Published Nov. 15, 2016
By Airman 1st Class BrieAnna Stillman
20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Team Shaw Airmen assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing returned home Nov. 10, after participating in Green Flag 17-2 at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

Green Flag is an exercise that provides air-to-ground operational training, and the F-16CM Fighting Falcons flew out of Nellis AFB to support Army troops on the ground at Fort Irwin, California.

“Green Flag really benefits Shaw’s F-16 pilots by giving them an opportunity to meet training objectives in order to provide combat-ready forces to the combatant commander,” said Staff Sgt. Jimmy Queen, 20th Logistics Readiness Squadron deployment operations NCO in charge.

This exercise helps not only F-16 pilots prepare for deployment operations throughout the world but maintainers as well.

Maintainers worked closely with the F-16 pilots making sure there were no problems with the aircraft before they took flight.

“Participating in the Green Flag exercise for the first time really helped me learn a lot of new and useful things as well as understand my aircraft systems better,” said Airman 1st Class Thomas Prigge, 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron avionics technician.

Approximately 200 people from Shaw AFB participated in this 26-day exercise to provide close air support and meet bombing objectives with friendly troops on the ground.