96 BS participates in Exercise Red Flag

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Mason Martin
  • 96th Bomb Squadron
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  The 96th Bomb Squadron recently participated in Exercise Red Flag 11-2 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., which is traditionally one of the Air Force's most comprehensive training events preparing aviators for war.

"Red Flag was designed to give the young aviators their first taste of combat," said Maj. Bryan Roundtree, 96 BS assistant director of operations. "The training was extremely valuable for the 96 BS aircrew, which is preparing to deploy to Guam within the next few months."

Four B-52 bombers and more than 150 Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from Barksdale traveled to Las Vegas to participate in this conventional war training. Major Roundtree said a total of nine crews flew at least four training flights over the two-week exercise. The aircrew and maintenance personnel worked consistent 12-hour duty days to ensure the aircraft were able to fly and missions ran smoothly.

"The aircrew from the 96 BS spent several months preparing for this event, from general knowledge tests to live-weapons drops, which were launched from Barksdale in the Red Flag airspace," said Capt. Allen Agnes, 96 BS programs coordinator.

Each training flight consisted of multiple simulated weapon deliveries, intense communications with other Air Force combat aircraft as well as combat maneuvers against some of the most advanced air-to-air and ground-to-air threats in the world, Captain Agnes said. In addition to the successful flying training, crews were able to get valuable ground training by practicing mission planning processes that required a high degree of coordination with other crew members and airframes.

Also, the crews were able to learn how B-52 capabilities compare to other Air Force systems and how they could best be integrated in a wartime situation, the captain continued.

Other airframes involved in the event included F-16CJs from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany; F-15s from Nellis; B-1Bs from Ellsworth AFB, S.D.; A-10s from Whiteman AFB, Mo.; E-3 AWACS from Tinker AFB, Okla.; C-130Hs from Minneapolis; C-130s from Belgium and KC-135s from McConnell AFB, Kansas.

The 96 BS Airmen that earned superior performer awards were: Tech. Sgt. Teri Vinson, 1st Lt. Nick Welch, 1st Lt. Matt Satyshur, Capt. Maxwell Dipietro and Capt. Daniel Willis.

"One key to the success of this event for the squadron was the consistent excellence of the maintenance personnel at the event," Major Roundtree said. "The stars of the show were our maintenance personnel. They were batting a thousand, and our mission capable rate was 100 percent."