AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- I had the opportunity to be part of an Agile Combat Employment movement with the 510th Fighter Squadron and the 510th Fighter Generation Squadron during a two-week exercise.
The 510th FS and FGS were given a few days notice of their temporary duty (TDY) and had little to no information on where they were going or how long they would be gone. They just knew it was an ACE movement.
ACE is a proactive and reactive operational scheme of maneuver executed within threat timelines to increase survivability while generating combat power.
The 510th FGS is a tight knit unit, and it wasn’t easy for a ‘noner’ (a term used to describe someone not in the maintenance field) like me to infiltrate the team, understandably so, I don’t bleed purple…their squadron’s color. But after a drink and several laughs later, I was welcomed and able to see the true beauty of the unit.
This exercise was different than most exercises they participate in, for the sole fact the unit had to ‘forward deploy’ twice to two separate countries with no prior coordination; they just had to figure things out along the way.
This TDY challenged the team to figure out lodging, workspace, coordinate with the host nation and push out sorties while being in a simulated hostile environment.
This team is a hard-working group that cares about the F-16s they work on and each other. Their camaraderie is on the next level, and they embrace it every day by wearing purple swag on the flightline.
Throughout the exercise, the team faced many obstacles and at times worked long hours, but they did it together and in good spirits. It was nice to see all the different career fields and shifts come together to service a jet, with one goal in mind: accomplishing the mission.
As you can imagine, this exercise brought many frustrations to the team, but I witnessed time and time again, how it also brought them closer. The FGS showed constant support for one another and ensured their morale stayed high by proudly showing their squadron color on the flightline.
No matter how bad things were, the Buzzards FGS came together and managed to make each other laugh, while wearing their purple reflective belts, purple sunglasses and purple unit patches with so much pride.
I realized something so minimal as the color purple makes a huge difference in how Airmen operate and what state of mind they are in, when circumstances are not ideal.
Through their shared trials and unwavering support, the Buzzard’s bonds stand strong, proving that true companionship is forged during difficult times. Camaraderie is born on the flightline and is not easily broken.
RULE!