F-22 Raptors from the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, will be deploying to Andersen AFB, Guam, July 18 - Aug. 2 to participate in Exercise Jungle Shield and to conduct additional training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Mikal Canfield) Six F-22 Raptors from the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, are set to deploy to Andersen AFB, Guam, July 18 to Aug. 2.
The F-22s, along with associated maintenance and support personnel, will deploy to Guam to participate in the Jungle Shield exercise and conduct Cope Thaw training.
Jungle Shield will exercise 13th Air Force's air defense mission in Guam and validate the area air defense commander's ability to command and control such missions from the 613th Air and Space Operations Center here.
Following the exercise, the F-22 personnel will take part in Cope Thaw, one in a series of regularly occurring training events in which aircraft and personnel have an opportunity to conduct training in environments different from those at their home station.
This is the first deployment of Pacific Air Forces-assigned F-22s. It also marks the second deployment of the F-22 to the Pacific theater. In February 2007, F-22s and personnel from the 27th FS at Langley AFB, Va., deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan.
F-15E Strike Eagles and B-52 Stratofortresses and their aircrews already deployed to Andersen also will participate in Jungle Shield. Other participants include 13th AF and 613th AOC personnel here and 36th Wing personnel assigned to Andersen.
The United States routinely evaluates readiness and repositions forces as needed to ensure capabilities necessary to meet obligations in the Asia-Pacific region. These deployments demonstrate the continued U.S. commitment to fulfill security responsibilities throughout the Western Pacific and to maintain peace in the region.