Springfield airman represents Illinois Air National Guard at Polish Air Force F-16 anniversary

Pilot delivered first F-16 to Poland 10 years ago

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SPRINGFIELD, IL (08/31/2016)(readMedia)-- Col. Rick Yoder with the 183rd Fighter Wing represented the Illinois Air National Guard at ceremonies held in Poznan, Poland, Aug. 26-27, commemorating the implementation of the F-16 program in the Polish Air Force 10 years ago.

In total, the Polish Air Force purchased 48 aircraft from Lockheed Martin Corporation. The aircraft were delivered over several years by Air National Guard units in Arizona and Illinois. Yoder landed the first F-16 in Poznan in 2006.

Multiple events were held over the two-day celebration, including a military parade and air show attended by the President of Poland, Andrez Duda. The president remarked that the arrival of F-16's hailed a new era.

"At that moment, Poland was a NATO member and, in fact, these planes were the first sign of the alliance in Poland," said Duda.

The 183rd Fighter Wing coordinated several operations and maintenance projects with the Polish Air Force during the early years of the F-16 implementation. The 183rd's involvement with Poland is part of the joint Department of Defense and National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program linking State's National Guard with foreign countries to promote enduring, mutually beneficial security relationships with allies and friendly nations.

Yoder said he was thrilled to see the first aircraft he delivered was also the first aircraft to perform in the air show. Maj. Robert Ga??zka of the Polish air force delighted the crowd, estimated at more than 5,000 people, with loops and rolls in his F-16, tail number 4044.

"It was amazing to see that tail number. I'm proud of everything the Polish Air Force has accomplished with the F-16," said Yoder.

The 183rd Fighter Wing continues to partner with the Polish Air Force at the Air Operations Center – Air Component Command in Warsaw. The unit's command and control mission matches perfectly with the AOC-ACC. Most recently, the unit exercised with the AOC-ACC at Anakonda 2016, Poland's largest military exercise.

The State Partnership Program is now in its third decade, having forged 70 unique partnerships worldwide supporting missions ranging from disaster preparedness to military modernization.

photo cutline:Polish President Andrez Duda addresses a crowd of more than 5,000 at ceremonies marking the 10-year anniversary of the implementation of the F-16 in the Polish Air Force, Aug. 27 in Poznan, Poland. Col. Rick Yoder, far left, represented the Illinois Air National Guard and the National Guard State Partnership Program at the ceremony. Yoder delivered the first F-16 to Poznan in 2006. (Photo courtesy of the Polish Air Force)

photo cutline 2:Maj. Robert Ga??zka of the Polish air force performs acrobatics in his F-16 as part of the aerial demonstration team delighting the crowd at the 10th Anniversary of the Polish F-16. The aircraft flown was the first jet delivered to Poland by Col. Rick Yoder of the 183rd Fighter Wing in Springfield, Illinois. (Photo courtesy of the Polish Air Force)