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  • Reservists assigned to the 513th Air Control Group, walk by an E-3 Sentry wing July 25, 2016, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. More than 125 Airmen from the 513th Air Control Group and 552nd Air Control Wing are deployed to Hawaii in support of the Rim of the Pacific 2016 exercise. Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 30 to Aug. 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Caleb Wanzer)

    Tinker AWACS return from Pacific after successful RIMPAC 2016 exercise

    Airmen from the 513th Air Control Group and 552nd Air Control Wing recently returned to Tinker Air Force Base after flying more than 110 flight hours and controlling 83 aircraft as part the world’s largest naval exercise.
  • Members of America’s Wing Band rock the Tinker Club Feb. 5 during First Friday. Band members include: Lt. Col. Chris Egan, 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron commander, on rhythm guitar and vocals; Col. Brad Bird, 552nd ACW vice commander, on vocals and rhythm guitar; Lt. Col. Spence McKenna, 552nd ACW inspector general, on lead guitar; Lt. Col. Dan Johnsen, 552nd Maintenance Group deputy commander, on drums; Lt. Col. Tony Alvarado, 963rd AACS commander, on vocals and cowbell; and Lt. Col. Gary Sandt, 963rd AACS interim deputy commander, on bass guitar. (Courtesy photo/Released)

    ABW rocks Tinker Club during First Friday

    If you happened to miss First Friday at the Tinker Club Feb. 5, you missed what some are describing as "historic,"  "epic" and "reminiscent of the good old days" when base clubs were the place to be on Friday nights.The Tinker Club has been hosting First Friday for some time now. But, what made this night so special was an appearance by America's

  • 552 ACW members win awards

    Two members of 552nd Air Control Wing recently won aircrew flight equipment awards.Capt. Amanda Murphy, an aircrew flight equipment officer with the 552nd Operations Support Squadron, has been named the Air Force's Aircrew Flight Equipment Officer of the Year.  Master Sergeant Adam Parnell, also an AFE with the 552nd Operations Support Squadron,
  • Lt. Gen. Mike Hood, commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, seated, listens to a recording of a recent mission performed by members of the 552nd Air Control Wing during a tour of an E-3 “Sentry” Airborne Warning and Control System Block 40/45 aircraft on Feb. 3 at Tinker Air Force Base. Looking over the general’s shoulder and taking part in the E-3 static display are, from left, Maj. Gordon Lemon, mission crew commander; Lt. Col. Donald Saunders, 552nd ACW Canadian Detachment commander; Capt. Andrew Baier, airborne surveillance officer; and Capt. Anthony Snow, senior director. General Hood, assigned to the National Defense Headquarters in Ottawa, visited with the Canadian Detachment that consists of 39 members of the Royal Canadian Air Force and three members of the Canadian Army. During his visit, the general also met with Col. David Gaedecke, 552nd ACW commander, and held a commander’s call with members of the detachment. The partnership between the Canadian Detachment, which falls under the 552nd ACW, is now in its 36th year. The Detachment first began working with the 552nd ACW in 1979. (Air Force photo by Darren D. Heusel/Released)

    Working relationship

  • Lt. Gen. Mike Hood, commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, talks briefly with Master Cpl. Damien Hocquard, a communications systems operator assigned to the Canadian Detachment, which falls under the 552nd Air Control Wing, during a “Review of Troops” shortly upon his arrival to Tinker Air Force Base on Tuesday. General Hood, assigned to the National Defense Headquarters in Ottawa, spent two days visiting the Canadian Detachment, which consists of 39 members of the Royal Canadian Air Force and three members of the Canadian Army. During his visit, the general met with Col. David Gaedecke, 552nd ACW commander, toured an E-3 “Sentry” Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft, and held a commander’s call with members of the detachment. See next week’s issue of the Tinker Take Off for more coverage of the general’s visit. (Air Force photo by Darren D. Heusel/Released)

    Top Canadian officer visits Tinker detachment

  • U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., greets Staff Sgt. Joshua O’Dell during a visit with Airmen from the 552nd Air Control Wing Jan. 15. Sergeant O’Dell, from Oklahoma City, is a Computers/Electronic Warfare Craftsman with the 552nd Maintenance Squadron. He leads a four-member C/EW team that accomplishes scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on 27 E-3s valued at $8.9 billion. During his visit to Tinker, Senator Inhofe received an update on the KC-46A beddown, toured the new 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron location in Bldg. 201 and met with several Airmen, including Sergeant O’Dell, who had just returned from a recent deployment. (Air Force photo by Darren D. Heusel/Released)

    Senator visits 552 ACW Airmen

  • Airman 1st Class Robert Mott of the 90th Security Police Group stands guard near an E-3A Sentry aircraft during Operation Desert Shield. Mott is armed with an M-16A1 rifle equipped with an M-203 grenade launcher.

    Tinker plays big role in Gulf War victory

    When the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center commander said in 1991 he was "proud of the tremendous contribution Tinker personnel and associates have made thus far,"Maj. Gen. Joseph K. Spiers might have been talking about their day-to-day activities, year-after-year accomplishments or even those tasks during the tenure of his command. But, his

  • First 3-D printed part approved for AWACS

    The 552nd Maintenance Squadron Fabrication Flight recently won engineering approval to make and install the first 3-D printed part for E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.The part -- a plastic end cap for seat armrests -- isn't crucial to keeping the battle management platforms flying, but the manufacturing feat is an early milestone

  • 552nd ACW participates in inaugural Trilateral Exercise

    Several members of the 552nd Air Control Wing recently made history by participating in the inaugural Trilateral Exercise at Langley Air Force Base, Va., that included service members from the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and the French Air Force.The exercise, held Dec. 2-18, was hosted by the 1st Fighter Wing and focused on multi-national Air
  • A T-38 Talon, F-35 Lightning II, F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-22 Raptor are parked at the Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. flightline Dec. 17 during the Checkered Flag 16-1 exercise. The aircraft came from Shaw AFB, S.C.; Eglin AFB, Fla.; Barksdale AFB, La.; Tinker AFB, Okla.; and Eielson AFB, Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sergio A. Gamboa/Released)

    552 ACW participates in Checkered Flag 2015

    Tyndall hosted the Checkered Flag 16-1 exercise that started Dec. 10 and concluded Dec. 18.Checkered Flag is a large-force exercise that gives a large number of legacy and fifth-generation aircraft the chance to practice combat training together in a simulated employment from a deployed environment.Those involved in supporting the exercise were
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