139th News

Tactics symposium brings international partners to Missouri

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Michael Crane
  • 139th Airlift Wing
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (Rosecrans Air National Guard Base) --  The Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center here held its 33rd annual Tactics and Intelligence Symposium Jan. 26 - 29, 2015.

This year's theme was international innovation and integration in mobility air forces.

Several allied nations were represented during the symposium including Australia.

"The training we get here provides a great deal of adaptability for our crews," said Royal Australian Air Force Group Capt. Carl Newman, commanding officer of the 84th Wing, who was the keynote speaker for the symposium. "Coming into a different environment, operating with different forces...our crews become better operators and trainers back home."

The symposium brings the best of the best in the mobility flying community around the world.

"This school is a treasure for the Air Force and Air National Guard," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel, vice chief of the National Guard Bureau. "It is fundamentally changing the culture of tactics and innovation in our airlift community."

Tacticians, operators, and intelligence officers from around the world converge here to discuss best practices to take back to the field.

"I hope they continue to do what they are trained to do...that is to quickly and rapidly solve tactical issues for our airlift crews who are engaged in combat because that saves lives and resources," said Lengyel.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard also attended the symposium and met with some of the international partners.

"In the world wide discussion of airlift amongst the air forces of the world, they talk about St. Joseph and the 139th and the AATTC," said Danner. "Missouri is leading the way in air tactics."