JOINT-BASE SAN ANTONIO-Randolph, Texas – Col. Allen Duckworth, 340th Flying Training Group commander, hosted the new 12th Flying Training Wing commander, Col. Mark Robinson, and the 12th FTW Command Chief, Chief Master Sgt. Antonio Goldstrom, during their Aug. 9 unit immersion visit here.
The 340th Flying Training Group - an Air Force Reserve Command asset - is the largest flying group in the Air Force, consisting of 425 instructor pilots assigned to six squadrons at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma; JBSA-Randolph, Texas; Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi; Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas; Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas; and the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado. The group supports Air Education and Training Command's Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Joint Primary Pilot Training, Pilot Instructor Training, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Air Force Academy Airmanship programs, and basic military training.
“Our partnership with the 12th is an example of Total Force Integration at its finest,” said Duckworth. “Our members work hand-in-hand, seamlessly, with the 12th OG active duty units to train those who will go on to fly any one of the Air Force’s tactical fighter aircraft or military transport aircraft. We also touch the lives of three out of four new enlisted members during basic military training through our Reserve military training instructors, who are embedded in every BMT squadron and serve side-by-side with active duty mission partners to create the next generation of Airmen.”
The immersion visit included a tour of the headquarters and a mission briefing provided by Lt. Col. James Morgan, plans and programs chief. Morgan highlighted how the 340 FTG and its seven geographically separated units work in partnership with their AETC active duty teammates.
The mission brief was supplemented by a presentation from 39th Training Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Kyle Goldstein, who explained the annual “Cobras in the Sky” readiness exercise during which 39th FTS members assume command and control of every 12th Operations Group training flight, operation desk, supervisor and flight control tower. He said the exercise keeps them primed for their wartime mission to take on the full training mission in the event a real world situation required active duty pilots be recalled to their major weapons systems.
Goldstein explained that 39th FTS members represent 39 percent of 12th OG manning, filling a variety of roles including supervisory and leadership positions. 39th FTS pilots flew 8,203 training sorties in fiscal year 2017.
“It was an honor to welcome Colonel Robinson to the group,” Duckworth said. “The 12th has a broad mission with geographically separated groups and squadrons, so it was significant that he made the 340th one of the first stops on his immersion tour.”
Annually, 340th FTG instructor pilots and MTIs, along with active-duty mission partners, produce more than 850 instructor pilots and 35,000-plus new enlisted Airmen.
“Our mission is to provide mission-credible Airmen to the Air Force, said Duckworth. “Our members generally have more experience and training than active duty airmen. “The continuity and experience that the 340th FTG brings is as unique as it is important.”