F-22 offers peek into the future

Karen Zekan

Friday, Jan. 16, 1998 | 10:09 a.m.

It seemed uniquely appropriate that the U.S. Air Force's highest ranking enlisted member would try his hand at the F-22 stealth fighter simulator while visiting Nellis Air Force base this week.

The F-22 Raptor -- the most sophisticated blending of stealth and supersonic speed -- is clearly the aircraft of the future.

And it is the future, Chief Master Sgt. Eric Benken learned, that is weighing heavily on the minds of airmen stationed in Southern Nevada.

"We're getting smaller, and that changes the way we do business," Benken said Thursday. "Enlisted men and women are concerned about what the Air Force is going to be in the next century, especially with technology. Career paths will change."

Benken, 46, is the 12th enlisted man to serve as chief master sergeant since the prestigious position was created in 1967. He reports directly to the Air Force chief of staff and is an advisor to the secretary of the Air Force.

On average, Benken spends from 18-20 days per month visiting bases around the world to stay abreast of the concerns of the country's 310,000 enlisted personnel who make up 80 percent of the Air Force.

The highly decorated enlisted man and father of three is also involved with issues concerning the morale, health and welfare of active-duty officers, civilian employees and members of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

This week marked the second time Benken has been to Nellis since his promotion to chief master sergeant in November 1996. His first visit was in April to attend the air show.

Pay, benefits and the amount of time airmen spend away on deployment are also among the concerns of Nellis' approximately 5,600 airmen. Benken will take those concerns back to his superiors at the Pentagon -- issues he's hearing at every Air Force base.

The past decade has seen the Air Force cut its manpower almost in half, what the government calls "right-sizing" its military to meet today's needs.

At the same time, Benken said world affairs and technological advancements have permitted the Air Force to reduce its foreign presence and rely more heavily upon its air expeditionary forces -- meaning they can now more easily travel to wherever the conflict is and still remain air dominant.

Which is where the F-22 fits in.

America's newest bird of prey took its first flight Sept. 7, 1997, above Marietta, Ga., where it is being built by Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems in partnership with Boeing Co. and Pratt & Whitney.

It flew for an hour at speeds up to 285 mph.

The F-22 is still years away from its first combat mission, but remains the Air Force's major interest. Its computer system shows the pilot all of its data on one screen instead of several different monitors, and is easier and cheaper to maintain.

Lockheed's William Harrell, a retired Air Force F-16 pilot, said the F-22 combines the F-117's stealth with the capabilities of the F-15, the Air Force's top fighter.

"Airplanes are getting easier to fly," Harrell said. "The F-22 is very stable and aerodynamically superior. What's getting harder, though, is managing the tremendous information a pilot (requires) -- the sensors, communications and assets."

The first squadron of F-22s is due to be operational by 2005, when the F-15 is 30 years old. A few F-22s will be based at Edwards Air Force Base in California and are expected to touch down here periodically in coming years.

"I'm very impressed with what I've seen here," Benken said, after trying the simulator.

"Stealth is what makes us capable to move in without being seen. That's what saves lives."

The Air Force is expected to get 339 planes to replace its aging F-15Cs at an estimated total cost of $43 billion.

"The price of freedom is never too expensive," Benken said. "We want to bring our troops home alive. That's what it's all about."

Benken joined the Air Force at age 18, "on a hot summer day in Houston, Texas."

"I was riding in our '62 Chevy, my mother was driving, and I was frustrated. There weren't any jobs because of the draft," he said. "So I jumped out of the car and signed up. I didn't even know you got paid."

Which made his monthly check of $123 -- before taxes -- greatly appreciated.

Technology back then was a far cry from the F-22s of today.

"An Underwood 5 manual typewriter was what we were using -- something that hadn't changed since 1947," Benken remembered. "We looked at those IBM Selectrics with the ball as something really amazing."

Benken would go on to a sterling military career, earning medals for his service in Vietnam and numerous other commendations and awards.

"Careers can be had in the Air Force," Benken said, regarding the enlisted ranks' concerns. "We will need the Air Force, and we will need people to take on its many challenges."

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