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."
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) 
A B-52 Stratofortress takes off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to participate in an exercise scenario Aug. 22. The aircraft, aircrew and maintainers are deployed from Barksdale AFB, La., as part of the continuous bomber presence in the Pacific region. During their deployment to Guam, the bomber squadron's participation in exercises will emphasize the U.S. bomber presence, demonstrating U.S. commitment to the Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Mahmoud Rasouliyan)