PAF deactivates 600th Wing at Clark

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga – The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is "deactivating" here today its eight-year-old 600th Air Base Wing, replacing it with the 1st Tactical Operations Wing whose main mission would be to conduct "tactical air operations" in support of the Armed Forces in the entire Luzon.

Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor Jr., PAF commanding general, will preside over the event at the Air Force City hangar here today.

Maj. Allan Ballesteros, PAL information officer, said the 600th Air Base Wing was activated on Jan. 10, 1993 when its predecessor, the Clark Air Base Command, was deactivated following the withdrawal of the US Air Force from this former US military base. The Americans left Clark in 1991 amid the pending eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.

"At that time, the PAF’s role at Clark was focused on base services and security," Ballesteros said.

On the other hand, the 600th Air Base Wing provided not only security to all PAF units and other government agencies at Clark, converted into a special economic zone after the departure of the Americans, but also "engineering and communications support to base services, supply warehousing, transportation, medical and dental and aerodome services."

Ballesteros said the 1st Tactical Operations Wing would conduct tactical air operations in support of military forces in the entire Luzon, such as "close air support, battlefield interdiction, troop insertion and extraction, forward air control, combat air patrols, search and rescue, air mobile operations, air surveillance and reconnaissance, medical evacuation, forest surveillance, and reforestation."

Ballesteros said the 1st Tactical Operations Wing "will also continue to secure, develop, operate and maintain the Crow Valley gunnery range."

The Crow Valley gunnery range was used for war target bombing exercises by the US Air Force. It was identified as a site for joint war games under the Visiting Forces Agreement.

Under the 1st Tactical Operations Wing are three tactical operation groups and two tactical operation squadrons, Ballesteros said.

The wing has an air base group, hospital and dental dispensary, and a satellite air base squadron which would administer the gunnery range.

"The wisdom of organizing the 1st Tactical Operations Wing is based on the PAF’s vision of pursuing excellence in accomplishing its mandated mission through proper and timely employment and deployment of resources," Ballesteros added.

Thirty-five hectares of the 4,500-hectare Clark ecozone was designated for the use of the PAF which named the area Air Force City in 1997 "to create a new culture of cleanliness, innovativeness, and love for the arts and humanities" among Air Force men and their families who live here. — Ding Cervantes