SFARP standards
A training officer pretty much runs the show when it comes to preparing a squadron to deploy. All the ducks need to end up in a row, so that as the unit heads out of the door it has the requisite number of correctly trained aircrews and maintainers to do the job effectively on the road. Describing the details of SFARP, Craig says, ‘This is all about getting the fundamental, foundational, skill sets built. It starts with things like simply dropping a bomb on target in an uncontested environment and building from that to an advanced air-to-air employment scenario. Every aircrew member pilot and WSO [weapons systems officer, ‘whizzo’] that’s going to make cruise has to complete a certain number of events. It starts with a week of lectures back at Oceana with the East Coast Weapons School [Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic] for each of the two SFARP phases. Then there are certain wickets that they will need to go through.’
Coming to Fallon allows the squadrons to run the full range of missions, all in one place. Upon arrival, VFA-103 set up a temporary operations center in the Air Wing Fallon buildings adjacent to the flight line. The jets arrived on the Saturday and first thing Mond…
