67th FS, 961st AACS take home top honors at Turkey Shoot

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kenya Shiloh
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  The 67th Fighter Squadron and the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron took top honors in a virtual Turkey Shoot that took place Nov. 16 - Dec. 3 and involved United States Air Force squadrons from around the world.

The Air Combat Command-sponsored Distributed Mission Operations (simulator) Turkey Shoot tested the knowledge, experience and interoperability of more than 20 "total force" aircrews in a combat scenario.

The top DMO team award went to the combined team of Maj. Tom Hunt and Capt. Karl Kreek, both from the 67th FS and 1st Lt. Nick Vogel, 1st Lt. Stephanie Bradford, and Senior Airman James Sharp of the 961st AACS. In addition, Maj. Hunt and Capt. Kreek were recognized as the top F-15 two-ship in the entire competition, which included F-15 units from Langley Air Force Base, Va.; Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; and RAF Lakenheath in addition to Kadena.

While Lt. Col. Robert Novotny, 67th Fighter Squadron commander, said that though the simulator doesn't substitute live flying missions they conduct on a daily basis, it is an outstanding training tool to hone skills. He said Kadena's simulator offers pilots a training platform that allows them to increase the difficulty of missions while simultaneously merging F-15 and Air Warning and Control System operators in a linked simulation.

"We're fortunate to have this opportunity every day at Kadena and the results of the Turkey Shoot validate our day-to-day preparation in the 18th Operations Group," Lt. Col. Novotny said.

"This was an opportunity to test our mettle against the best air superiority pilots and air battle managers in the world," Major Hunt said. "While we validated our tactics and procedures, we also gained a respect for an increasingly dynamic threat that demands a total effort from all Airmen to achieve victory."

That victory was noted by an ACC official who commended the teams for the quality of their performance. According to the message, "The air superiority scenario was challenging, requiring close coordination between our aircrews. Each participant deserves praise for a job well done."