Top Cover: Combat Alert Center Airmen, earn first ‘mission ready’ rating from NORAD

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  • By David Bedard
  • JBER PAO
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  On Thanksgiving Day, 2007, klaxon alarms in then Elmendorf Air Force Base's Combat Alert Center pierced the winter air, prompting pilots to hurriedly suit up and slide down the facility's fire pole, dashing down the ready line to their F-22 Raptor fighters.

Within minutes of the call, the F-22s were airborne en route to intercepting a Russian Air Force TU-95 Bear bomber just southeast of Nunivak Island, mere miles away from the Alaska mainland.

Since the 1950s, similar intercept missions have sortied hundreds of times at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson CAC, and the Cold War-era facility continues a 24-hour vigil to maintain U.S. air sovereignty in the 21st Century.

Last month, the CAC earned a "mission ready" rating when Air Force inspectors general visited the facility for a North American Aerospace Defense Command Alert Force Evaluation.

Air Force Master Sgt. James Inch, CAC superintendent, said the success of the organization during the inspection involved a wide range of personnel assigned to JBER representing dozens of disciplines.

"It's a whole 3rd Wing, 673d Air Base Wing and 611th (Air Support Group) evaluation," the Herndon, Penn., native said. "So all three (organizations) have to meld together to get the mission ready rating, which is the highest rating."

Inch said IG inspected the whole process necessary to intercept a foreign aircraft. The inspectors evaluated training, safety and procedures established to maintain the facility which is on alert 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

During a no-notice drill, Inch said IG examined the 611th Aircraft Intelligence Squadron's capability to identify military aircraft entering the U.S. air defense identification zone - a national defense boundary for air incursions - and to relay that information to Alaska NORAD Region and the CAC.

Airmen from the 673d Security Forces Squadron were evaluated for their ability to secure the area and control access to the CAC.

Crew chiefs from 90th and 525th aircraft maintenance units were tested for how quickly they could safely launch alert aircraft, as well as how soon they could turn the returning aircraft around for future missions.

Finally, F-22 pilots were evaluated for how quickly, safely and accurately they intercepted the notional incursion aircraft.

Inch said the CAC broke new ground during the NAFE, establishing best practices for the Air Force during the inspection.

Despite the CAC's accomplishments, Inch said he feels there is still room for improvement.

"This year was the first F-22 evaluation, so there were a lot of questions of 'Are we doing everything we're supposed to be doing? Is there something we could do better?'" he said. "There are still some areas that we can streamline.

"We are always looking at those and now that we have set the bar, everybody's goal should be to get above the bar, not just be average," Inch continued. "Even though we have the mission ready this time, next time we want to make it ... one or two more best practices."

Inch said the NAFE was another high point in the history of the facility and of the organizations who have operated it.

Tech. Sgt. William Brown, CAC assistant non-commissioned officer in charge, said the facility was built in 1954 for $880,000. He said the facility has operated F-102 Delta Daggers, F-4 Phantoms, F-15 Eagles and today's fifth generation stealth F-22s.

The CAC is home to a firehouse atmosphere with sleeping quarters, a weight room and recreational facilities for Airmen who work alert shifts. The F-22s rest in immaculate bays and are constantly checked and rechecked by maintenance personnel to ensure their readiness.

"We're here 24/7/365," Brown said with a grin. "Always ready."

A map in the CAC foyer is marked with multicolored stars showing intercept locations and types throughout the years. During facility tours, Brown demonstrates a librarian's knowledge of every intercept and briefs visitors with the tenor of a football coach recalling past plays.

The Clearwater, Fla., native said interceptors have historically operated through three follow-on bases: Galena Air Force Station, Shemya Air Force Base (now Eareckson Air Station) and King Salmon Air Station as divert airfields. Currently, only King Salmon operates as a follow-on base.

He placed an index finger on the map, indicating the CAC's Russian counterpart installations: Ukrainka strategic air base, Tiksi Airport and the forward deployed location of Anadyr's Ugolny Airport.

"Anadyr is very close to the Seward Peninsula," Brown said. "So as they move into (Anadyr), our intention to fly and do our thing is heightened, because they're so close."

Brown said the Russians fly missions over the Polar ice cap, where they are picked up by Canadian Forces CF-18 Hornet fighters, which will escort them along the border before handing them off to 3rd Wing F-22s.

In order to maintain the endurance to intercept and return to base, Brown said fighters are refueled by 168th Air Refueling Wing alert KC-135 Stratotankers from Eielson Air Force Base.

Requiring the coordinated efforts of three wing or equivalent organizations -Eielson Air Force Base, NORAD, and Canadian Defense Forces - to maintain air sovereignty, Inch said for his part he is proud of the CAC's accomplishments.

"A lot of things that we learned together to accomplish the mission at the end and then to watch the IG leave with us having a mission ready, that's probably the best feeling anybody could have as a superintendent," he said.

Tech. Sgt. William Kirkpatrick, CAC assistant NCOIC for facility management, said he prefers to paint the accomplishment with the brush of history.

"We're doing the same mission we've been doing here since the 50s," the Mooreland, Okla., native said. "We've maintained the air sovereignty alert mission ... with a plethora of airframes throughout the years.

It's the same facility. It was built during the Cold War and we've got a fifth gen(eration) fighter sitting in it right now keeping the mission going.

"We're part of history in two aspects: one, we're working in history and two - being the first F-22 alert force - we're making history, all in the same facility."