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        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Secretary fo the Air Force flies with 173rd Fighter Wing181104-Z-F3916-0001
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force Heather flies in the backseat of an F-15D Eagle piloted by U.S. Air Force Col. Jeff Smith, 173rd Fighter Wing commander, during a familiarization flight Nov. 4, 2018, at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Ore. This visit provided her a first-hand look at the wing’s mission as the sole provider of F-15C air superiority pilots to the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Colonel Jeff Smith)
                
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        Secretary of the Air Force visits Kingsley Field181103-Z-BD327-0022
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson arrives at the 173rd Fighter Wing and is greeted by wing commander (from left), Col. Jeff Smith, Oregon Air National Guard Commander, Brig. Gen. James Kriesel, and the Oregon Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Mike Stencel, Nov. 3, 2018. The secretary’s visit provides her a first-hand look at the wing’s mission as the sole provider of F-15C air superiority pilots to the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Riley Johnson)
                
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        Secretary of the Air Force visits Kingsley Field181103-Z-BD327-0171
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson is accompanied by U.S. Representative, Greg Walden as Tech. Sgt. Tylor Strop shows them a wing spar from an F-15 Eagle, and explains how 173rd Fighter Wing maintainers wing have pioneered a method for inspecting the structure helping keep a fleet of 32 aircraft airworthy, Nov. 3, 2018. The method proved so innovative that the Air Force adopted it across the entire fleet of F-15s in the inventory. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Riley Johnson)
                
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        Secretary of the Air Force visits Kingsley Field181103-Z-BD327-0212
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson is accompanied by U.S. Representative, Greg Walden as Tech. Sgt. Tylor Strop shows them a wing spar from an F-15 Eagle, and explains how 173rd Fighter Wing maintainers wing have pioneered a method for inspecting the structure helping keep a fleet of 32 aircraft airworthy, Nov. 3, 2018. The method proved so innovative that the Air Force adopted it across the entire fleet of F-15s in the inventory. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Riley Johnson)
                
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        Secretary of the Air Force visits Kingsley Field181103-Z-BD327-0243
                        
                        
                        U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Collin Grandy takes a selfie with Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson after she coined him, Nov. 3, 2018. The secretary’s visit provides her a first-hand look at the wing’s mission and the Airmen who make it happen. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Riley Johnson)
                
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        Secretary of the Air Force visits Kingsley Field181103-Z-BD327-0296
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson addresses the 173rd Fighter Wing Airmen during her visit, Nov. 3, 2018. Wilson answerted questions from the audience, as well as outlined the priorities of the Air Force moving forward including force modernization and improved readiness. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Riley Johnson)
                
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        Secretary of the Air Force visits Kingsley Field181104-Z-BD327-0015
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson dons her flight gear at 173rd Fighter Wing Aircrew Flight Equipment shop before an F-15 Eagle familiarization flight Nov. 4, 2018, at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Ore. The secretary’s visit provided her a first-hand look at the wing’s mission as the sole provider of F-15C air superiority pilots to the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Riley Johnson)
                
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        Secretary of the Air Force visits Kingsley Field181104-Z-BD327-0088
                        
                        
                        U.S. Air Force Col. Jeff Smith, 173rd Fighter Wing commander, right, helps Secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson strap into an F-15D Eagle before a familiarization flight Nov. 4, 2018, at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Ore. The secretary’s visit provided her a first-hand look at the wing’s mission as the sole provider of F-15C air superiority pilots to the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Riley Johnson)
                
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        Secretary of the Air Force visits Kingsley Field181104-Z-BD327-0188
                        
                        
                        Secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson, right, gives a thumbs up as the engines of the F-15D Eagle start up before a familiarization flight Nov. 4, 2018, at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Ore. The secretary’s visit provided her a first-hand look at the wing’s mission as the sole provider of F-15C air superiority pilots to the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Riley Johnson)
                
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First Time: 173rd Fighter Wing hosts secretary of the Air ForcePublished Nov. 6, 2018
                    
                    By Tech. Sgt. Jefferson Thompson
                    
                    
                    173rd Fighter Wing
            **KINGSLEY FIELD, Ore. (AFNS) --**Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson visited the 173rd Fighter Wing Nov. 3-4, 2018, marking the first visit by a sitting secretary since Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Oregon opened its gates during World War II.
During her visit, Wilson had the opportunity to see firsthand the wing’s mission, which is the sole training provider of F-15C Eagle air superiority pilots to the U.S. Air Force. The base coined the phrase, “America’s air superiority starts here,” to describe a mission vital to the interests of the Air Force.
One of her key messages for the community and the wing is the emergence of threats with capabilities comparable to the U.S., which she said requires a concerted effort to modernize and re-establish technological superiority.
“The thing that’s driving all this is the threat—we’ve returned to an era of great power competition and we have to be prepared for that,” she said.
That means an increase in readiness, an expansion of the number of squadrons, and an increase in the number of Airmen joining the ranks of fully qualified fighter pilots, something the 173rd FW executes every day.
Over the last several years the wing has added training airspace making it the second largest range in the entire Air Force, second only to the Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, range. Kingsley Field has also secured the longest lease in the Air Force, until the year 2095, largely driven by strong community support.
“It’s a very supportive community, and that matters to our Airmen and it matters to inspire the next generation of young people to consider the United States Air Force whether it’s active, guard or reserve,” said Wilson.
Wilson’s history with the Air Force dates back to college, she graduated from the Air Force Academy and served for seven years in the 1980s. She said there are some differences in the service now and one of them is readily evident at Kingsley Field.
“It’s a guard unit that has an active association so that is very unique,” she said referencing the active association with the 550th Fighter Squadron. “One of the things that’s different about the Air Force from when I was on active duty is the closeness of the active, guard and reserve. The operating tempo is much higher, but that also means that the integration is even more important today than it was 20 years ago.”
Kingsley Field added more than 90 active duty troops several years ago, and they help increase the number of student pilots the wing graduates in a year.
Although her visit spanned just over 24 hours she made time to meet with Airmen from the most junior to the higher ranks and she hosted a town hall for more than an hour. The base theater reached capacity and still more people filed in to stand in the back. During her presentation she asked each Airmen to write on a three-by-five card something they would like her to know.
“If there is anything you would like me to know, anything at all, please write it on the card, I will read every one of them on the plane when I leave,” she said.
The final part of her visit was a ride in the back seat of the F-15 where she traveled to the training airspace to see its scope and to experience some of what the aircraft is capable of.
“It was a great day, it was a really great day,” she said with a smile on her face. “Climbing at 70-degrees nose-high and going from 6,000 feet to 18,000 feet in what seemed like less than 30-seconds—going inverted and just having (Col. Jeff Smith) show me what the jet could do was a lot of fun.”Kingsley Field 



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