Joint training keeps Airmen and Soldiers mission-ready

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Chad Warren
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  The 548th Combat Training Squadron is hosting the first of 10 exercises for fiscal year 2011, Green Flag East 11-01. This exercise is taking place Oct. 11-27 and is a collaboration of several Air Force units as well as the 82nd Airborne Division, a U.S. Army airborne infantry division based at Fort Bragg, N.C., which sent 5,000 Soldiers in support of the exercise.

"We run our Air Force Green Flag Exercises in partnership with the Army at the Joint Readiness Training Center as they run their mission rehearsal exercises for brigades before they deploy," said Lt. Col. Patrick Mckeever, 548 CTS/Detachment 1 commander. "That integration with the Army is one of the things that really sets us apart as an exercise."

Unlike previous GFE exercises, the current scenario is not preparing a brigade for an upcoming deployment, but rather preparing for a global response mission which falls in line with the 2nd Bomb Wing and Air Force Global Strike Command missions as well. This is a full spectrum operations event, the first one of its kind attempted by the Army in eight years.

The simulated combat operations held at the JRTC at Fort Polk, La., employ close air support and require clear and concise communication between air and ground forces.
The integration of Army and Air Force assets is vital to any situation with potential troops in contact with enemy combatants.

"The Army and Air Force are fighting together overseas every day," Lt. Col. Mckeever said. "It is important to train together before we go do it for real."

The 79th Fighter Squadron from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., is one of the units deployed here for the exercise. The 79 FS is providing close air support throughout the entire exercise with 15 F-16CMs and more than 250 personnel.

The 79 FS specializes in Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses, which are completely different from supporting troops in contact. The CAS mission gives the Airmen with the 79 FS a unique opportunity to train outside of their primary mission.

"It has been a challenge supporting fighter aircraft in a close air support environment because that is not our primary mission set back at Shaw AFB," said Staff Sgt. Jennifer Harris, 79 FS NCO in charge of intelligence. "This has taught us significantly about the dynamics of a CAS mission and the intelligence that is needed for the crews to have a successful mission."

Participating in GFE 11-01 is a rare opportunity for the F-16s to use live munitions and work coordinated attacks with Joint Terminal Attack Controllers in urban combat environments.

"The training opportunities during the first week were outstanding," said Capt. Jeremy Nolting, an F-16 pilot with the 79 FS. "Green Flag allows us to gain proficiency working with JTACs in order to precisely deliver munitions, minimize collateral damage and still achieve desired weapons effects."