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USAFE FACES MANY TASKS

It is unlikely that one would have heard complaints that there was not enough to do during the 1990s from the units of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). From Operation Desert Storm against Iraq through to Operation Allied Force over Yugoslavia, USAFE headquarters at Ramstein Air Base near Kaiserslautern has clocked up no less than 67 missions in regional conflicts and contingency operations - twice as many as in the frostiest periods of the Cold War in the 1970s and 1980s.

The new challenges have to be met by a force which has undergone swingeing cuts. Whereas in 1987 USAFE still had 860 aircraft at its disposal, today it has to make do with only 225. The units are now dispersed over six main operating bases, compared with 25 in the 1980s. Again, the staffing levels have fallen sharply, from 76,300 servicemen and civilians down to 31,900, a level which has remained stable for five years.

"We have already sustained major cutbacks and there is no case for any further reductions," is the view held at USAFE HQ. The situation is therefore not expected to change significantly over the next few years. Rather, it is a question of stabilising the present structure and completing the reorganisation that is still under way.

The objectives underlying all the measures are clear and are subsumed in the new USAF-wide orientation towards an Air Expeditionary Force. Instead of warding off a possible large-scale attack by the now defunct Warsaw Pact from operational bases in Central Europe, USAFE is today expected to be able at any time to respond rapidly to crises of all types and to deploy task forces tailored to the operational requirement to the locations where they are needed. The forces deployed must overcome the enemy with the minimum of own losses.

USAFE's area of responsibility is by no means confined to Europe, but covers 89 countries and extends from the north of Norway through the Baltic states and eastern Europe, through Turkey, Syria and Egypt to North Africa and from there down to the Cape of Good Hope. In fact these areas have always been within USAFE's remit, but due to the focus on the East-West confrontation this tended to be overlooked.

Since the last reorganisation in July 1996 when the 17th Air Force was disbanded, the 3rd Air Force is now responsible for the area to the north of the Alps and Africa south of Algeria, while the 16th Air Force takes care of the Mediterranean, including the Balkans.

Major General Kenneth Hess, commander of 3rd Air Force which is headquartered at RAF Mildenhall, England, commands around 23,000 men. They are divided into four fighter wings and various support units such as the 4th Air Support Operations Group, which is under the command of the US Army's V Corps in Heidelberg. Mildenhall itself is home to the only USAF tankers in Europe, which if necessary can be augmented by units from the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard. F-15E Strike Eagles stationed in nearby Lakenheath provide USAFE's essential attack potential.

In Germany USAFE has two main operational bases at Spangdahlem, which flies a mix of F-16CJ's equipped with HARM anti-radiation missiles and A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolts, and Ramstein. Ramstein is the largest USAF air base in Europe, with no fewer than 7,260 airmen and 9,575 relatives.

Since 1994 Ramstein has been home to the 86th Airlift Wing. It has three squadrons equipped with the C-130E Hercules, C-9A Nightingale (aeromedical evacuation aircraft) and various communications aircraft, but also provides the infrastructure for the Air Mobility Command. Following the relocation of air transport activities from the civilian Rhine-Main airport, some structural changes were necessary. A new passenger building is currently being built to handle the smooth movement by air of servicemen in the future.

By contrast with 3rd Air Force, 16th Air Force under Lieutenant General Ronald E. Keys has only one complete wing, 31st Fighter Wing in Aviano. It was only set up in April 1994, to a large extent using personnel and materiel from the disbanded 86th Fighter Wing previously based in Ramstein. Even during the establishment phase, the wing was constantly busy with missions over the Balkans. It was also required to accommodate large numbers of visiting units at the base.

Apart from Aviano, Incirlik in Turkey is the 16th Air Force's second main operating base. From there the airspace over northern Iraq is monitored, a job which requires the continuous presence of fighters, AWACS and ECM aircraft. However, the forces used for this mission come from a number of units which are changed regularly and then form the 39th Air and Space Expeditionary Wing. These expeditionary wings are set up as required. In the wake of the Kosovo operations for example, the 16th and 31st Air Expeditionary Wings in Aviano, with its supporting bases in Tuzla, Skopje, Sarajevo, Taszar, Pristina, Araxos, Sigonella, Istres, Vicenza and Rhine-Main were formed.

The Kosovo War last year imposed a considerable burden on USAFE, whose units have taken a long time to recover. Routine training had to go by the board during the war, and the high number of flying hours significantly increased consumption of spare parts. Aircraft availability currently averages 75 to 80%, too low for General Gregory S. Martin, USAFE Commander since January. Part of the problem is a shortage of replacement spare parts, but the C-130E's at least are older aircraft which simply require more in the way of maintenance.

On top of this, staffing levels are thin, further aggravated by strong demand in the US civilian air transport market. To retain his skilled personnel, Martin attaches great importance to quality of life for his servicemen and their families, who are generally posted to Europe for three years at a time. A tour on the old continent continues to be attractive, not just on account of the current strength of the dollar. For example, in Europe there is more opportunity to fly than in the USA, and missions are more varied. In particular, pilots straight out of training can gain a lot of experience here.

On the other hand, the crowded airspace in Europe brings other restrictions with it. For this reason, USAFE conducts a lot of its training in North Africa (C-130E in Morocco) and eastern European countries (52nd Fighter Winning in Slovakia). This has the additional advantage that one can practise with new partners who could be part of the friendly forces deployed to deal with the next crisis.

From page 6 of FLUG REVUE 12/2000