Pilot teaches growing Raptor force

Dick Benoit

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2004 | 8:30 a.m.

"What happens here stays here" is not a marketing message espoused by leaders at Nellis Air Force Base. In August the base, which does boast the motto "Sharpening America's Edge," hosted Lt. Col. Jeffery "Cobra" Harragian as the first Air Education and Training Command pilot to check out in the Air Force's new F/A-22 Raptor fighter.

Harragian, the son of Priscilla Harragian of Henderson, certainly had an exciting visit to Las Vegas and then immediately took that experience, along with his skills as an instructor, back to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., to share with the members of his unit.

Now, Maj. Michael Hoepfner, also at Tyndall, is the first F/A-22 pilot to complete training in the fighter at that Florida base thanks in part to Harragian and fellow fighter pilot, Maj. Steven Luczynski, who was also trained at Nellis and then shared their knowledge.

"Training Major Hoepfner provided a tremendous sense of pride for everyone in the 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit and the Raptor team as a whole to include all our contractor support," said Harrigian, who is commander of the 43rd Fighter Squadron there.

Hoepfner, currently an F-16 pilot, thinks the Raptor is "one of the most beautiful planes on Earth" because it does so many different things.

"We call ourselves the jacks of all trades and the masters of none," Hoepfner said. "In the F/A-22 though, we'll be the masters of all."

Initial flight training for the single-seat aircraft included a trip to the Boeing headquarters in Seattle for ground school academic training that lasted two weeks. Then Hoepfner traveled to Atlanta for training on the high-fidelity tactical simulators.

The 43rd Squadron will qualify a core cadre of seven pilots by summer, according to squadron officials.

New Relief Act

President Bush signed a new Service Members' Civil Relief Act into law Dec. 19 to provide protections to service members who have difficulty meeting their personal financial and legal obligations because of their military service.

Air Force Lt. Col. Patrick Lindemann, deputy director for legal policy in the office of the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness, said "a significant change added in the SCRA is an automatic 90-day stay of civil proceedings upon application by the service member. The SCRA also makes it clear that the 6 percent limitation on interest rates for pre-service debts requires a reduction in monthly payments, and that any interest in excess of 6 percent is forgiven, not deferred."

The SCRA also expands protection against eviction. Previously service members and their dependents who entered into a lease for $1,200 or less could not be evicted without a court order. The SCRA increased that to $2,465 for 2004. Additionally, any service member being deployed outside the country for not less than 180 days, may terminate a motor vehicle lease without early termination charges.

In brief

Burns, Islas and Lawrance are among 2,000 Marines in the 13th MEU divided into an infantry battalion, aircraft squadron, support group and command element.