A fond farewell to the Airmen of the 606th

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dawn M. Weber
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

On Jan. 8, 2015, the office of the Secretary of Defense announced the results of the European Infrastructure Consolidation review, resulting in the realignment of several missions in U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa.

Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany was one of several affected bases, the announcement resulted in the relocation of the 606th Air Control Squadron to Aviano Air Base, Italy.

The 606th ACS is a self-contained mobile combat unit with more than 300 Airmen covering more than 21 specialties that maintains over $170 million worth of equipment. The unit provides daily command and control to the 52nd Fighter Wing's flying squadron in addition to the occasional control of NATO’s Airborne Warning and Control Systems from Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany, and visiting aircraft from around the USAFE-AFA theater.

“We had a feeling there was going to be a big impact on the squadron before the announcement was made,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jonathan Eason, former 606th ACS chief enlisted manager Detachment 1. “Immediately after seeing the final results of EIC review, we began planning for the move, as well as the upcoming Air and Space Expeditionary Force deployment that was scheduled.”

Teams of leadership and subject matter experts, along with leadership from USAFE-AFA, left for Aviano to conduct site surveys of the new location.

“The leadership and subject matter experts needed to get a lay of the land,” Eason said. “It was important to make sure the facilities at Aviano would be able to accommodate the personnel and the equipment needed to operate the 606th ACS.”

In the midst of its relocation from Spangdahlem to Aviano, nearly 200 Airmen assigned to the 606th ACS returned to Spangdahlem. After a six-month rotational deployment to Southwest Asia in Oct. 2016 in support of Operations Freedom’s Sentinel and Inherent Resolve.

“The 606th ACS has been a tremendous asset to the 52nd Fighter Wing,” said. Col. Joseph McFall, 52nd FW commander. “They worked extremely hard with very little manning moving equipment down to Aviano, while more than 200 of the squadron’s Airmen were downrange. I have no doubt they will go to Italy and absolutely crush it.”

 

The 606th ACS is the only control and reporting center in the USAFE-AFA that employs various assets such as radar systems, radar shelters and antennas for live tactical control of aircraft. The squadron has been located at Spangdahlem AB since Jan. 1, 1994, and is now officially a part of the 31st Operations Group at Aviano AB.

Their future endeavors will support the 510th and 555th Fighter Squadron’s air power as well as continuing to be a vital part of the USAFE-AFA team.

“It’s going to be a huge chunk missing from the 52nd Operations Group and the 52nd Fighter Wing,” Eason said. “The 606th ACS is leaving a legacy of repeated excellence and accomplishments behind, here at Spangdahlem Air Base. Whether it be the multiple deployments to the Middle East, or the longest convoy in recent history in support of NATO and Operation Atlantic Resolve in Poland. Our presence hasn’t just been here at Spangdahlem, the 606th has been all over Europe, the Middle East and the world.”