COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Maj. Gen. Gregory Kreuder, 19th Air Force commander, toured the 14th Flying Training Wing, 14th Operations Group for an immersion tour of Undergraduate Pilot Training at CAFB, preparations for the new T-7A Red Hawk bed down facilities, and to discuss the future of the next generation of pilots, 21-24 October.
Kreuder met with instructor pilots who directly develop students and prepare them for follow-on training. He also flew in a T-38 Talon from the 50th Flying Training Squadron to experience portions of student flight training under the current Undergraduate Pilot Training program.
“Our dedicated instructor pilots at Columbus are singularly focused on developing the warfighters our Nation needs,” said Kreuder. “They are entrusted with our most precious resource - our Airmen - that they train in the art and science of flying so they can graduate and move on to our various operational aircraft throughout our Air Force.”
During the visit, Kreuder also toured the Unaccompanied Officer’s Quarters for student pilots and discussed the quality-of-life projects with leaders from the 14th Mission Support Group.
“Making sure the students have the best quality of life and living conditions is one of our top priorities,” said Col. Scott Ryder, 14th Mission Support Group commander. “We need them to focus on pilot training, so we take care of everything else.”
Kreuder was also briefed on preparation progress for the new T-7 Red Hawk pilot training aircraft. The T-7 will eventually replace the T-38 Talon, which fighter and bomber aircraft students currently fly for their training after completing Undergraduate Pilot Training in the T-6 Texan II.
“To stay competitive in this era of Great Power Competition, we have to continuously optimize pilot training,” said Col. Jon Cato, 14th Flying Training Wing deputy commander. “Transitioning to the T-7 will help give us that strategic advantage to stay ahead.”
To conclude the visit, Kreuder met with CAFB leadership to discuss pilot production and training. In Fiscal Year 2023, CAFB trained 354 students, the most of all Air Force pilot training bases.
“Ensuring that we’re doing everything we can to create as many fully trained and capable pilots is essential to fulfilling the Air Force’s role in the era of Great Power Competition,” said Kreuder. “That all starts here at Columbus AFB.”