Barksdale Airmen test ability during exercise

by Staff Sgt. John Gordinier, 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFNS) -- Approximately 150 maintenance Airmen, 2nd Bomb Wing pilots and support members recently returned from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, where they participated in the 10-day Exercise Red Flag-Alaska.

The exercise is designed to provide realistic and demanding air-combat training to flying unit members from across the Air Force, Department of Defense and Allied nations.

"Everyone who participates (in the exercise) benefits greatly from the training," said Maj. Thomas Aranda, the 96th Bomb Squadron assistant director of operations. "The aviators enjoy some of the most realistic air-combat training available and the maintainers push the edge of the envelope by generating combat power under very tight timelines and challenging conditions."

Support personnel also benefit from the exercise by operating in a deployed environment and acquiring experience in providing expeditionary combat support to the joint war-fighter, the major said.

According to Major Aranda, there are two critical aspects of Red Flag: integration and realism.

Integration provides rare opportunities for combat Airmen from across the armed forces to meet and practice combat tactics together, Major Aranda said. This provides B-52 Stratofortress combat aviators valuable experience integrating with the rest of the combat air forces.

Captain A.J. Schrag, the 96th Bomb Squadron B-52 pilot, agreed.

"These types of exercises are fantastic," he said. "Any exercise with many people from many different backgrounds, unifying as one team, adds extreme value in mission capability and readiness."

"Integration also provides our escort fighters experience in protecting the bomber, which is something we want them to do well when we go to combat," Major Aranda said. "Our crews learn quite a bit from other units and they learn from us. It is a win-win situation."

Major Aranda said realism provides relevant combat training to participating units. The events associated with combat, from adversary tactics to friendly force operations, are replicated as authentically as possible. A notional Combined Air Operations Center sends an air tasking order to exercise participants every day. The aviators, maintainers and support personnel then plan and execute missions to fulfill the requirements in the ATO.

"The tactical problems are demanding and push aviators and maintainers to new heights," the major said. "During execution, highly trained aggressors replicate adversary tactics and provide a realistic combat experience to the exercise participants. This sharpens the edge of the warfighter and results in finely honed combat Airmen."

This is one of many Red Flag-Alaska exercises to come.

Red Flag-Alaska occurs four times per year during the non-winter season and takes place at both Eielson and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Units deploy to both bases and meet in the air over the state of Alaska twice a day for two weeks to conduct their exercise training.

Captain Schrag gathered some experience by participating in the exercise.

"I enjoyed learning the specific capabilities of the B-52H," he said. "This exercise shows each pilot and maintainer how they fit into the big picture. It gives you more insight on what you bring to the fight."

"We are very grateful for the opportunity to participate in Exercise Red Flag-Alaska," Major Aranda said. "I am very proud of our maintainers for producing B-52 sorties at a rate well above average with scarce resources. Our aviators held their own in a demanding combat-like environment and integrated well. They did a tremendous job."

Barksdale Airmen practice operational capability

Two B-52H Stratofortresses make their way to the runway during a Nuclear Operational Readiness Exercise here Feb 25. The exercise tested the wing’s operations planning and ability to generate a large number of B-52s to support the global strike mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman La’Shanette V. Garrett)

by Senior Airman Alexandra M. Longfellow, 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La -- Barksdale Airman participated in a Nuclear Operational Readiness Exercise Feb. 22.

The exercise tested the wing's operations planning and ability to generate a large number of B-52 Stratofortresses to support the global strike mission.

"This NORE allows our Airmen deployed to Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to continue improving our nuclear operations and technical procedures with our 5th Bomb Wing brethren," said Lt. Col. Paul Griffith, 2d Bomb Wing, director of plans, programs and evaluations.

The 2d Maintenance Group generated the required aircraft during the exercise and the 2d Operations Group prepared and tested the required crew members. The 2d Mission Support Group secured the generated area and arranged travel for maintenance and cargo headed for Minot. All sections were tested by evaluators and graded on how they react to special situations.

The exercise provides an opportunity to evaluate Barksdale's ability to execute mission requirements and hone the necessary skills to perform the mission. It takes an enormous amount of planning and coordination between the 2d and 5th BWs and 8th Air Force to properly execute the complex exercises.

"This exercise was the first robust test of these different contingencies," said Colonel Griffith. "It allowed our leaders and Airmen to learn, experience and devise the best methods for these operations now and in the future."

This exercise had two distinct objectives -- to provide and deploy all tasked support to the NORE at Minot as quickly as possible to meet or exceed mission's timelines and to exercise additional contingencies for operational missions ranging from global strike to expeditionary combat support.

"Every day our Airmen maintain the highest standards of compliance and accountability while we continue to improve our operational capability," said Col. Steven Basham, 2d Bomb Wing commander. "This NORE was an opportunity for the 2d BW to demonstrate its continuous preparedness for conducting nuclear operation in a safe, secure and credible manner."

The 2d BW has two NOREs scheduled for April and May to prepare for the upcoming June NORI.