Sector supports Canadian Weapons School deployment

  • Published
  • By Brooke Davis
  • Eastern Air Defense Sector
Rome, N.Y. --  Four pilots and two controllers recently graduated from the Fighter Weapons School Instructor Course at the 4 Wing Canadian Forces Base in Cold Lake, Canada May 29.
The Northeast Air Defense Sector supported the controller portion of the school during their deployment here Jan. 31 through Feb. 13.
Capt. Ian McDonald, a Canadian Forces member currently assigned to NEADS, was one of only two controllers selected for the course.
The course also included four CF-18 pilots, whom during this timeframe, were deployed to the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz., for training as well.
With its high operations tempo spanning the eastern half of the U.S., the location of the Sector provided a prime opportunity for the students to control multiple fighter aircraft as well as receive face-to-face debriefings from pilots at the 174th Fighter Wing in Syracuse. The purpose of FWIC is to create tactical leaders in the aerospace control community. Students are assessed not only on their control, but also on their ability to instruct, explained Capt. Jill Hobson, FWIC course director in Bagotville.
Because the pilots were deployed to Arizona, the students were able to continue their training with the support of the Sector.
"A typical day, not including student prep time, ranges from 10 to 12 hours," explained Maj. Jim Maunsell, NEADS Standardization and Evaluations director. "The briefings and debriefings are the backbone of this course and entail intensive evaluation of the student's knowledge of tactics and control ability."
The course is five months long and similar training in the U.S. is conducted at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, located at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
Capt. Shawn Guilbault from Cold Lake was the other controller on FWIC who graduated, and Capt. Gareth Carter provided guest instructor support during the NEADS deployment.
Other locations the students trained included the Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., Canadian Forces Base Bagotville, Quebec and CFB North Bay, Ontario (Canada).