What could be the most impressive display of airpower and training skills was hosted at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas on April 7, 2023. Dubbed probably the largest “elephant walk” in Air Force history, it featured 4,000 Airmen and 80 training aircraft from the 82nd Training Wing and the 80th Flying Training Wing, all lined up on the runway to drive home the important function of training in keeping air superiority.
Elephant walks have traditionally been used to flex the muscle of military airpower by having different aircraft line up on a single runway to signal the strength and readiness of the U.S. Air Force. What made this particular event at Sheppard AFB special was that besides being a big event, it brought out, quite literally, a human element behind the machinery. According to the commander of the 82nd Training Wing, Brig. Gen. Lyle K. Drew, “The key to airpower is exceptional Airmen, and the key to exceptional Airmen is exceptional training.”
Sheppard AFB is a bedrock of Air Force training with the host of three of the eight technical training groups and the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program. The base trained some 65,000 Airmen annually, amounting to about 150,000 of the USAF’s Active-Duty Airmen having been trained at the base. Participation in the elephant walk, the 80th FTW, plays a central role in this mission, flying 40 T-6 Texan and 40 T-38 Talon trainers.
No other base could bring this many training aircraft and student Airmen to bear like this,” said Col. Brad Orgeron, the 80th FTW commander. He added that the missions trained here at Sheppard AFB touch every base and combat sortie in the Air Force, and global partners, around the world.
The ENJJPT program celebrates 40 years of existence; it is the only multi-nationally partnered program in training combat pilots not just for the USAF, but also for NATO. Since its inception, over 8,000 pilots have graduated from the course, constantly updating itself to remain relevant amidst the evolving concept of modern air warfare. ENJJPT is hosted by the 80th FTW, which operates 211 aircraft, comprising T-6A Texan II and T-38C Talon, flying almost 230 sorties every day.
In particular, the elephant walk at Sheppard AFB was not just an airplane show but a testament to the seriously rigorous training and international cooperation that undergirds the might of the USAF and its partners. According to Col. Orgeron, it told both the friends and potential adversaries that the U.S. and its partners will remain steadfast to the highest standards of training and readiness.