THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 7, 1995 TAG: 9501070269
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
The skies over Iceland were a busy place during the Cold War.
Air Force fighters often pulled up beside Bear bombers from the Soviet Union, keeping them honest as they tested the tip of the globe and the shortened hop it offered to North America.
The skies are busy no more. With the fall of communism in the Soviet Union, the Air Force is withdrawing its permanent presence in Iceland, the 15-plane F-15 squadron stationed at Keflavik Naval Air Station.
In its place, five F-15s from Langley Air Force Base are scheduled to leave this morning as the assignment becomes a temporary one, filled on a rotating basis.
Every 30 days, one of the three squadrons that make up Langley's 1st Fighter Wing will send five planes to the icy outpost. Following them in the rotation will be Air National Guard units - the first one, from Massachusetts.
The move ends a permanent Air Force presence at the Navy installation that dates back to 1939.
The old system - a permanent squadron - ``was a lot easier and simpler than shuttling people who aren't used to the harsh operating environment back and forth,'' said Air Force Col. Daniel Leaf, operations group commander at Langley.
But with military cuts under way, fewer forces leaves little room for the easy way.
``It's a real challenge to honor our treaty obligations and meet the needs for the air defense of Iceland while, at the same time, reconcile with the reduced force structure,'' Leaf said.
``We have to figure out how to fit the need of spending 90 days in Iceland and still cover everything else we're doing.''
For the past several years, more than 1,000 Air Force members were stationed at Keflavik on one-year rotations without families or two-year tours with them.
Replacing the permanent squadron with temporary units cuts that number to about 700, mostly support personnel.
During this first rotation, Langley will keep six F-15 pilots and 48 support personnel there at all times, taking them from three local squadrons.
Because Iceland is in a strategic location, he said, the Air Force and Navy have a commitment to guard possible attack routes from the north.
``The Cold War was a real threat and a challenge, risky business,'' Leaf said.
Part of the savings at Keflavik will be retiring older models of the 15 planes once assigned there. Many will be sent to the military's aircraft storage center in the Arizona desert, though others will be assigned to F-15 units.
The Langley planes replacing them during the first rotations are being drawn from the 54 based at Langley. Most are 13 years old and valued at $35 million each.
The first five planes were scheduled to leave Langley on Friday, but a low ceiling and a wet runway at Keflavik prevented the deployment.
The rotation is a change for Langley's pilots, but in many ways it's one they're used to experiencing.
``Sending people to Keflavik from Langley is new, but temporary duty and going places is our job,'' Leaf said. ``There's nothing new in that; we conduct our business on the road.'' ILLUSTRATION: File
Five F-15s from Langley Air Force Base are scheduled to leave this
morning for a temporary assignment in Iceland. Following them in the
rotation will be Air National Guard units.
Staff Map
by CNB