Twitter
Facebook
Bulgarian air force Capt. Boyko Itchev, 16th Transport Air Group training officer and C-29J Spartan pilot, discusses airframe differences and operating procedures with Maj. Bill Tice, 37th AS assistant operations officer.
Building upon a long history of cooperation between the U.S. and Bulgaria, members of the 435th Contingency Response Group and 37th Airlift Squadron spent four days with Airmen from the Bulgarian air force at Vrazhdebna Air Base recently.
During the joint training, they conducted an airlift familiarization event, working closely with their hosts from Bulgaria’s 16th Transport Group. There, they evaluated and assisted current plans and future exercises for the Bulgarian air force’s C-27J Spartan fleet.
Four Ramstein Airmen, one with 435th CRG Air Advising Branch and three from the 37th AS, led the familiarization event covering airlift operations and loadmaster procedures. The event planned provided an opportunity to expand interoperability through familiarity with each other’s equipment and operating procedures.
“This opportunity to work with the 16th Transport Air Group in Bulgaria provided both air forces a chance to learn about each other’s capabilities and how we can integrate our operations for our common interest in the future,” said Maj. Bill Tice, 37th AS assistant operations officer. “The Bulgarian aircrews are highly skilled and motivated to expand their tactical airlift capacity, and we look forward to working with them on this endeavor soon.”
The event started with presentations on the history of the Bulgarian air force and a tour of the Bulgarian C-27J Spartan. The C-27J is a two-engine, medium-sized military transport aircraft that shares many components with the C-130J Super Hercules stationed at Ramstein. The mutual exchange of ideas and information during this event assisted with developing Bulgaria’s interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces.
“We built a lot of our rapport with the Bulgarian counterparts on the mutual respect we had for each other as Airmen,” said Tech. Sgt. Ryan Fallon, 435th CRG air adviser. “That, along with our mutual airlift backgrounds and experiences, will help to foster increased partnership capacity for the future.”
During the event, the air adviser team met with several experts from the Bulgarian air force, discussing topics ranging from formation flying to night operations. They also covered mission planning processes and projected goals to assist with future multinational exercises such as Thracian Summer — a two-week training exercise conducted in Bulgaria that emphasizes airlift and airdrop capabilities.
The mission was another successful event for the Airmen of the 435th CRG and the 37th AS. The development and enhancement of a NATO partner aids the Air Force’s goal of building mutually beneficial partnerships.
