44th Fighter Squadron lends a hand Published June 5, 2009 By Airman Jack Sanders 3rd Wing Public Affairs ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- More than 100 Airmen from Kadena Air Base, Japan, arrived at Elmendorf May 28 to assist with the Operational Readiness Inspection here. Kadena's 44th Fighter Squadron is providing adversary support for the 3rd Wing's ORI. It is the representative threat, based on the scenarios. "We're the bad guys," Lt. Col. Brian Farrar, 44th FS commander, said jokingly with a laugh. "It sounds like the 3rd Wing is very much prepared for this ORI. We'll give it our best shot, again, to provide a representative threat, but I think that they're ready to deal with anything that's thrown at them," said Farrar. An additional 67 members of the 44th arrived here on June 4 to also try their luck at testing the 3rd Wing. "We got in during the ORI last night and it was pretty intense," said Airman 1st Class Alisha Fuller, 44th FS aviation resource manager. "There were a lot of security forces, barriers, and (more) to get through." The 44th FS will augment the aggressors out of Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. "We'll have 12 F-15s here, including some of the V2 radar-equipped F-15s that were previously (assigned to) Elmendorf," said Farrar. While the 44th FS is mainly assisting in the evaluation of the 3rd Wing during the ORI, its squadron members are receiving valuable training as well. "From Kadena, we typically have to fly over water. One of our biggest training benefits, while we're here, is doing some continuation training, or in-house training," the colonel said. "We get to fly overland; we get to practice our overland low-altitude procedures." The 44th FS will also participate in Northern Edge June 12-26. Northern Edge is a joint training exercise designed to practice tactics, procedures, operations, and bring a better communication between the services. "As we go into Northern Edge, we will gain numerous benefits in joint operations that we might participate in here in the Pacific theater," said Farrar. For some of the Airmen, this will be an experience to see the Alaskan environments for the first time. "I'm excited to see the base and what goes on here and kind of get a feel for the ops as far as this side," said Fuller.