Red Devils at Red Flag Published July 26, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Micaiah Anthony 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- A bomber with fighter escorts soars over an empty desert. The entire escort banks toward the horizon responding to a call from the air operations center. Shortly after, the jets fire their missiles and the bomber opens its bomb-bay doors. For the B-52H Stratofortress bomber and other military aircraft, scenarios like this were rehearsed the last two weeks in July during Exercise Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. "Red Flag is a large multinational exercise where we get to exercise all the tenets of airpower," said Lt. Col. Ryan Link, 96th Bomb Squadron commander. "There are several different countries to include the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and other U.S. allies who participate in Red Flag." For 37 years, flight crews from around the globe have deployed to Nellis to hone aerial combat skills. "Red Flag was created in 1975 to provide flight crews with their first 10 combat missions in an exercise environment, greatly enhancing their chances of survival and success in real aerial combat," said Lt. Col. Charles Bailey, Air Expeditionary Wing vice commander. "Since that time, the exercise has evolved into the premier large-force integration exercise in the world, allowing U.S. and partner nation Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen to integrate their aircraft's capabilities to defeat a robust simulated foe." Though the focus is on air combat, Red Flag also incorporates ground units as a part of the mission. "Ground units play various roles in Red Flag, be it directing terminal attacks or locating specific targets for aircraft to strike," said Bailey. Team Barksdale Airmen participated in the exercise to sharpen their B-52 aircrew skills and work with U.S. allies. "The B-52 is participating because we want to exercise our ability to work with joint and coalition partners to make sure we keep our edge as sharp as possible," said Link. At Red Flag, flight crews not only learn more about their aircraft and its limits, they learn to fight as a team. "No single aircraft can accomplish the mission alone," said Bailey. "The goal is for crews from different airframes to enhance their platform's strengths and mitigate their weaknesses by learning to fight as a team." According to Link, the strategic bomber brings a multi-role capability to the different scenarios at Red Flag, providing interdiction, stand-off missiles, close air support and direct targeting for its mission partners. "With the B-52 being a long-range global strike asset, we can forward project air power," he said. "We use other aircraft to clear the way for us, like linemen pushing their way forward. Once the area is clear we can operate using a targeting pod and perform direct targeting and close air support." After every mission, flight crews are debriefed and evaluated on their performance so they can apply the lessons learned in their next mission or in combat. "Performance can be categorized as either a success or a failure based on the results," said Bailey. "In short, the information we gather are lessons on what we should or shouldn't do in war." From Bailey's perspective, watching aviators from around the world working together to solve problems is one of the best elements of the exercise. "By the end of the exercise, crews have made great strides in capitalizing on each others' strengths so that the force is successful and everyone survives," he said. "It's like watching a light turn on." For Barksdale's flight crews, the exercise not only allows them to gain experience, but shows the U.S. and its allies what the B-52 and its crew can do. "The best part is that with the high fidelity feedback, it gives our crews the knowledge that the B-52 is still very relevant and highly capable," said Capt. Kera Rolsen, 96 BS exercise project officer. "It also shows our fellow aviators and allies what the B-52 brings to the fight so it can be called upon for upcoming engagements."