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Show FamnDy E)ay aO Q a.m. Schedule, Pago 3a Supplement to the Hilltop Times Hill AFD, Utah Aug. 3, 1990 v 1 v- U.S. Air Force Photoi by In northern climes Left, an . - , ' ' . " AD(QSk(S ' ' - ' ' ....... ' " r ' - Tit M ' Lfi! Copt. George Muller from the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing on Alaskan soil. Above, SSgt. Dee Cox checks out an during recent Alaskan deployment. F-1- 6 F-1- 6 wifllhr Ifraomi les Utah FeakMS Sag made the by TSgt. Bruce Hills 419th TFW Public Affairs Office 1,872-mil- e flight to Elmen-dor- f AFB, just outside Anchorage, in four hours. t one1 from the 22nd Air "Two Refueling Wing at March AFB, Calif., and another from the 68th'Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., transported our personnel and refueled us on the trip up. Coming s home, we were refueled by two from the 68th AFW." F-1- '. - Alaska provided members of the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing good weather, beautiful scenery and great training during a recent exercise, Patriot Pole '90, which was an annual tour for many in the unit. Capt. Gary Bowling, 466th Tactical Fighter Squadron scheduler, said some of the unit left Hill AFB July 14 aboard a C-- but most of the 140 who made the trip, including 12 6 pilots from his squadron, left July 15 and all returned July 28. "We'took eight fighters with us and 5, F-1- ; KC-lO- . s, KC-lO- Captain Bowling said the 419th TFW pilots were supported during k exercise by the 43rd their Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 21st TFW, a unit of the Alaskan Air two-wee- Command. - "They flew 5 Eagle fighters in air combat training missions against us, which was good experience since we were up against a different kind of airplane than our own F-- l 6s. We were able to practice a lot of our tactics. for one thing, have the "The d fire to missiles, ability and this provided us with a whole new set of problems to solve," Captain Bowling said. The Hill reservists had only a day g and a half of bad weather Alaska. in their Temperastay during tures during the first week were in the 70s during the day and, during the sec-- . ond week, were in the 60s. One highlight of the trip was a visit ; F-15- s, radar-controlle- non-flyin- by four Soviet aircraft that stopped to refuel at Elmendorf. Captain Bowling said anyone in uniform was able to go up to the planes and examine them closely, and many climbed a ladder and looked into the planes' cockpits. "The first week we were in Alaska, e two Soviet MiG-2- 9 Fulcrum fighters stopped at Elmendorf AFB and, during the second week, two e Soviet landed at the base. "The Soviets are sending some of their planes to the United States to appear in static displays at air shows. The planes make a regular stop at Elmendorf on their way to the U.S.," he said. twin-engin- Su-27- 's twin-engin- : I General Closner up for top post, promotion rjmlGijQGlGIKalGG' by Capt. Tess T. Cowan 419trrTFW Public Affairs Office Brig. Gen. John J. Closner III, former 419th Tactical Fighter Wing commander, was recently nominated by the president to be the next chief of Air J. .".u: ;. Force Reserve.:: The nomination includes promotion . to major general. Once confirmed by the Senate, General tour Nov. 1, 1990. Closner will begin his four-yea- r P. Gen. will He Roger Scheer, who will replace Maj. ; -'- . retire. ? ' J Tf. I' . : - , General Closner was the 419th commander from July 1983 until July 1987, when he became commander of 10th Air Force, Bergstrom AFB, Texas. Since July 1989 he has been deputy to the chief of Air Force Reserve, Washington, D.C. General Closner is a 1962 graduate of Texas A&M University, where he earned his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He is a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours, all in fighter aircraft. While he was commander of the 419th TFW, the unit achieved many significant awards. Among them are two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, the Air Force Association's Outstanding Reserve Flying Wing Award, overall top team award in the Gunsmoke '85 Air Force Worldwide Fighter Gunnery Meet, as well as Top Gun and other distinguished recognition at Gunsmoke '87. Under his command, the 419th Tactical Fighter unit in the Air Wing was the last operational Force until its conversion to the 6 in January 1984. The 419th is the Air Force Reserve's first wing. As 419th commander, he also managed the 944th Tactical Fighter Group, Luke AFB, Ariz., and the 507th Tactical Fighter Group, Tinker AFB, Okla. General Closner, was born in Houston, Texas. He is married to the fonder Angela Syder of Norfolk, England. They have a son, Scott, and a; daughter, "; Leigh. The Closners said they are thrilled about the new job and happy they won't have to move. V,. F-1- 05 F-1- F-1- 6 - . V- - S ri 7 U.S. Air Force fhoto ' Brig. Gen. John J. Closner III c rm, tuDDlamcnt to th Hilltop It published by MorMdl, IrtC, 1 private firm In no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with the Ogden AtC Public Affairs Office. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper Is an authorized publication for AJr Force Blunl mamhare. af t ha U S military serv ces. Contents of beadadp are not necessari y me oniciai haUUD Rtrv or the Department of the Air Force. Advertisements contained herein do not constitute an endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or Hill AFB, Utah. 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