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Navy and Marine Corps Aviator Student Strike Pilot Training
by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Drew Verbis
March 13, 2021
Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) conducted strike pilot
training with Navy and Marine Corps student naval aviators detached
from Training Air Wing 1 at Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro, February
16 to March 5. 2021.
The detachment is the first opportunity for
Navy and Marine Corps student naval aviators from Training Air Wing
1, stationed aboard Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi, to
deliver inert (practice) ordnance to identified targets within NAF
El Centro bombing ranges, a mission-critical phase in undergraduate
strike pilot training.
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March 3, 2021 – Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) conduct strike pilot training with Navy and Marine Corps student naval aviators detached from Training Air Wing-1, Meridian, Ms., operating the T-45C Goshawk jet aircraft onboard Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro, California. NAF El Centro supports combat training and readiness of the Warfighter. This includes air operations support to operational fleet and training squadrons as well as squadrons from other services (USMC, USA, USAF) and Allies. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Drew Verbis)
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“NAF El Centro provides the venue and
support for an indispensable part of strike pilot training,” said
Commodore, Training Air Wing 1 Capt. Tracey “PETA” Gendreau. “Strike
detachments ensure our students get the practical experience they
need to develop their warfighting skillsets. Learning how to
tactically employ an aircraft is vital to providing the fleet
aviators who are ready to fight.”
Students also practiced
tactical formation, low level, section low level, and road
reconnaissance flights during the detachment.
This year’s
operational challenge is to actively mitigate the spread of COVID-19
while maintaining mission readiness.
“Team NAFEC works hard
to meet their many customer’s needs,” said Capt. William Perkins,
commanding officer, NAF El Centro. “The thing I am most proud of is
the positive feedback I get from visiting squadron leadership
regarding the extra mile our entire team goes to in order to help
them meet their unique, and often significantly different training
requirements.”
Many of the embarked student naval aviators
remarked with surprise about how busy the airfield landing pattern
is with multiple types of aircraft operating in the area.
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March 3, 2021 – A U.S. Navy T-45C Goshawk jet aircraft
prepares for takeoff strike pilot training with Navy and
Marine Corps student naval aviators onboard Naval Air
Facility. NAF El Centro supports combat training and
readiness of the Warfighter. This includes air operations
support to operational fleet and training squadrons as well
as squadrons from other services (USMC, USA, USAF) and
Allies. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Drew Verbis)
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“The flight line is full year-round with Navy and Marine Corps
squadrons and smaller detachments who come for a few days or a few
weeks to conduct training on the nearby Navy live-fire ranges,”
Perkins said. “NAF El Centro typically experiences multiples days
where units from all Department of Defense services operate in the
same space.”
The mission of NAF El Centro is to support the
combat training and readiness of the warfighter. This includes air
operations support to operational fleet and training squadrons as
well as squadrons from other services (Marine Corps, Army, Air
Force) and international military partners.
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