Air Guard’s F-35 trainer takes position at Warfare Center

ST. AUGUSTINE – One of the Florida Air National Guard’s pioneers in the F-35 fighter jet program will soon be moving on to represent the Air National Guard at the United States Air Force Warfare Center.
Lt. Col. Randal Efferson, who serves as the deputy commander at Eglin Air Force Base’s 33rd Operations Group, has been selected as Advisor to the USAF Warfare Center located at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. In this position Efferson will be the primary spokesperson and conduit on all Air National Guard (ANG) issues at the Warfare Center, as well as advisor to the Center’s commander.
“Lt. Col. Efferson has been integral in the stand-up of F-35 flying operations here in the 33rd Fighter Wing,” 33rd Fighter Wing Commander Col. Andrew Toth said. “His wealth of fighter experience along with his Air Guard background made him a perfect fit in the 33rd Operations Group. He helped lay the foundation of Total Force F-35 Integration for the next 30 to 50 years. The know-how he gained while assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing will be invaluable to our Service as he transitions to his new Guard Advisor position at Nellis AFB with F-35 operational test standing up there in the very near future.”
Efferson is scheduled to assume the position in the spring.
He will be directly responsible for ANG integration into the active duty test and evaluation process, subsequent air combat tactics evolution, and the development of future capabilities for forces within the Air Reserve Component and the Total Force.
As a command pilot with more than 3,200 flight hours and nearly 600 combat flight hours, Efferson was chosen in 2010 to serve as one of only two Air National Guard pilots at the 33rd Operations Group. There he helped develop the standards and infrastructure for the Department of Defense’s first F-35 training unit.
Efferson said he was “very honored” to have served as the 33rd Operations Group deputy commander – a unique position for a Guardsman in that he commanded active duty personnel from the USAF and sister services.
“Over the past two years I feel my contributions during the ‘bed down’ and initial training of other pilots have established a solid path for others to walk on,” Efferson said. “It was a huge honor to be among the first men and women chosen to stand this program up. All other F-35 units around the world will benefit from the work we have accomplished and that feels good. Even though I didn’t get an official Lightning Number (given to pilots that flew the F-35) I have flown with it many times in the F-16 as a chase aircraft and feel I was a valuable member of the entire team.”
He said he is confident in the National Guard’s importance and continuing role in the F-35 program.
“The National Guard is a key part of the TFI (total force integration) construct and in order to move into the next generation of warfighting we must remain on the leading edge,” he explained. “We will take what we have learned into National Guard units across the country that will eventually receive F-35 aircraft.”
Nearly 12 years of active Air Force service, and Air National Guard positions with Alabama, Texas and Florida, have given Efferson a solid perspective on the benefits of having the National Guard involved in the F-35 program.
“The National Guard brings four key things to the table in this area: experience, cost effectiveness, the ability to augment the active duty, and a direct connection to the public,” he said. “The National Guard has some of the most experienced pilots and maintainers in the world and it only makes sense to apply that experience to a new program.”
Efferson added that he believes placing F-35s in the National Guard – where they can be flown and maintained by drill status Guardsmen – is cost effective and strategically smart.
“(Guardsmen) draw their primary paycheck from the civilian communities in which they live, and at any time can be activated to augment active duty numbers,” he said. “In the meantime they are providing a beneficial and positive connection to the general public wherever they are based, due to their imbedded nature.”
Efferson said he is looking forward to the new challenges at Nellis AFB, and is planning to help both active duty and National Guard Airmen “continue to provide top notch warfighting capabilities for our nation.”