In Northwest Florida these days, the roar of military aircraft zooming overhead is widely greeted as “the sound of freedom.”
Through Thursday, that sound will be augmented by the rumbling of F-35 Lightning II fighter jets from the Vermont Air National Guard — giving the residents of Burlington, Vermont, some apparently welcome freedom from that sound.
“Quiet week ahead as F-35s head to Florida for training,” was the headline chosen for an online story on the temporary absence of the Air National Guard fighter jets from Burlington on WCAX-TV, the city’s CBS affiliate.
Airmen, aircraft and support equipment from the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing left the Burlington Air National Guard Base at Burlington International Airport on Jan. 14 for a two-week exercise at Tyndall Air Force Base.
The exercise is being conducted by the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group, part of the Eglin Air Force Base-headquartered 53rd Wing. The wing is responsible for operational testing and evaluation of new equipment and systems for Air Force combat air forces.
The exercise, WSEP (Weapons System Evaluation Program) East, is among numerous such exercises held by the wing each year, according to Lt. Savannah Bray, the wing’s public information officer.
WSEP East marks the first time that F-35s assigned to National Guard units have participated in the exercises. While WSEP exercises are “very routine” for the 53rd Wing, WSEP East will be anything but routine for some of the participating airmen, according to Bray.
“We’ll have a lot of first-time shooters,” said Bray, who added that WSEP East will be the first experience in firing missiles for some of the participating aircrews.
According to the Vermont Air National Guard, during WSEP East the 158th Fighter Wing will integrate with other Air National Guard units from across the country “to validate and verify weapon system performance, determine reliability, evaluate capability and limitations, identify deficiencies and recommend corrective action.”
“Everyone is excited for the opportunity to take the Vermont Air National Guard on the road,” Lt. Col. Brian D. Sherry, the 158th Fighter Wing plans officer, said in the Guard news release. “This is all part of the evolution to achieve F-35 combat readiness status. We’ll all be tested across a wide spectrum of tactics in preparation for real world deployments.”
