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    In the past 18 years, almost two decades, I would have to
    say that both the equipment, the airplanes, and the training
    we have received for the guys--aggressor training and Red
    Flag of the various exchange programs throughout the world--
    has, in order of magnitude, been better than they were 15 or
    20 years ago.
    
    S: Let's turn to support for the detachment here. Do you have
    any regrets, or do you have any success stories, about how
    things operate here?
    
    E: That is a multifaceted question with a bunch of answers. I
    will try to cover it all with one fell swoop. First of all,
    the concept would have to be called a rousing success. The
    genesis of the idea, my understanding of it, occurred 2
    weeks ago up in Riyadh by Col Joe Bob Phillips from the
    fighter weapons school, who was over here watching the war.
    He had a suggestion to General Glosson [Brig Gen Buster C.]
    that in order to make us more effective in the 363d Wing,
    since we had to drive so far to the war, that we work much
    as the A-10s have worked for years with an FOL.
    
    From the time he had the idea and it was briefed to the
    General to the time it was actually in place was an amazing
    2 or 3 days. We were turning airplanes within probably 4
    days of the genesis of the idea, which is really quick. I
    was skeptical at first, simply because it is a novel concept
    of the F-16 community, we require a bit more support from
    some aircraft just because we are a little bit more
    sophisticated. I don't know of any other F-16 unit in the
    world that has done this or is doing it right now, to tell
    you the truth. The resounding success of it was, we went
    from a low-option area to a full-up, as I mentioned before,
    just in several days.
    
    

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