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Members of the Canadian Detachment at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma
pose for a photo in front of an E-3 Sentry aircraft earlier in 2014. RCAF Photo
2014 marks the 35th year of Canadian participation in the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) program at Tinker Air Force Base as part of the 552nd Air Control Wing.
In 1979, a handful of Canadians arrived in Tinker, located near Oklahoma City, Okla., to support the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) air sovereignty mission. At that time, the Canadian detachment comprised 14 Canadian personnel whose duty involved support of continental defence operations, onboard the newly-acquired E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft. Under the North American Air Defense Modernization agreement between the United States and Canada, the number of military members stationed in Tinker grew to 43. Most are members of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), along with some members of the Canadian Army.
Today, those assigned to the Canadian detachment fill 12 of the 13 crew positions aboard the E-3 Sentry, as well as instructor and flight evaluator roles. They are fully integrated into the 552nd Air Control Wing and are assigned to one of four operational squadrons, two training squadrons and an operational support squadron.
Since 1979, Canadian aircrew have participated in nearly every expeditionary action alongside members of the United States Air Force. Canadians flew in both Gulf Wars. After the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Canadians in the Tinker AWACS community were among the first to fight in the War on Terror.
In 2011, Canadian detachment personnel served overseas in Operation Unified Protector, enforcing the no-fly zone in Libya. In addition to expeditionary action, Canadian crewmembers have regularly participated in domestic air operations such as those surrounding G8/G20 summits, major sporting events, or counter-drug operations.
2014 is indeed an important milestone for the RCAF, especially for those of us posted to Tinker. We celebrate not only 90 years of remarkable achievement by the RCAF, but also 35 years of partnership and operational accomplishment with the United States Air Force as part of a unit that offers a world class capability.
In the words of President John F. Kennedy in his address to the Canadian Parliament in 1961: “Geography has made us neighbours. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies. Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder. What unites us is far greater than what divides us.”
