552nd ACW adds new squadron to the ranks Published Nov. 6, 2015 By Kimberly Woodruff Staff Writer TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- America's Wing just got a little bigger. The 436th Training Squadron from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, became part of the 552nd Air Control Wing on Oct. 1. After the B-1s transferred to Global Strike Command, the 436th TS needed a home and the 552nd ACW was waiting with open arms. "We're excited!" said Lt. Col. Edward Brennan, 436th TS commander. "From a mission perspective, we could fit anywhere, but the 552nd welcomed us and wanted us. That's important to me and important to the squadron. It's nice to have that kind of relationship starting off." The 552nd ACW has a robust training operation and existing relationships with geographically separated units at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. Col. David Gaedecke, 552nd ACW commander said from a "big Air Force" perspective, the addition of the 436th TS to his wing just seemed to make sense. "With the reorganization of Global Strike Command, we wanted to find a good solution to provide organizational support to the 436th TS with minimal impact to operations," he said. "With Dyess AFB being only four hours away, it made sense from an operational and geographic perspective to support the 436th TS as well." Colonel Gaedecke said the 436th TS and its mission adds diversity to the 552nd ACW. They conduct formal training for the Air Force's inventory of ground, weapons and flight safety professionals, Aircrew Flight Equipment journeymen, Aviation Resource Management and serve as the sole focal point for classroom instructor training and operational multimedia production. "It's a huge mission that makes the 552nd ACW even more diverse and we are proud to have these professionals as part of our wing," he said. Though small -- there are only 31 members of the 436th TS -- the squadron's unique mission impacts every Air Force major command. Colonel Brennan said that his unit has been recognized by the Air Force for standardization and excellence in instruction and video production. "We're very top heavy with a lot of experience," Colonel Brennan said, "but we need that experience to lend credibility to our courses and training videos." Colonel Gaedecke said there will be some adjustment anytime a new unit is added to an organization. "However, we are familiar with providing support to GSUs," he said, adding that the 436th TS will be a welcomed part of the Operations Group. "I expect our OG to provide the same level of support as it would to its other units and ensure the more than 1,400 students per year they train receive the best formal training, funding and support possible." Senior leaders from the 552nd ACW have made trips down to visit the 436th's campus at Dyess and have also brought squadron leadership to Tinker to get familiar with operations here. "They're a great group of leadership," said Colonel Brennan. "The wing leadership has been nothing but accommodating as we work through this transition -- there is a lot of paperwork, but it's nice to know we've found a home."