RAF Mildenhall supports Navy during Exercise Saxon Warrior

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Sailors from the U.S. Navy conducted missions from RAF Mildenhall during exercise Saxon Warrior, Aug. 1-10.

Bringing with them two C-2A Greyhounds, the 48-strong team from the "Rawhides" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 participated in the multinational exercise.

The exercise provided the U.S., U.K. and other countries the opportunity to conduct training designed to sharpen joint warfighting skills and enhance the capacity to conduct combined, multinational maritime operations. The U.S. routinely trains with allies and partners in exercises like Saxon Warrior to ensure mission readiness and interoperability.

VRC-40 used RAF Mildenhall as their forward-operating base to carry out their missions to deliver supplies and personnel to and from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).

During the exercise, the George H.W. Bush hosted British personnel aboard, working alongside their American counterparts as part of the U.K.-U.S. Long Lead Specialist Skills Program, which qualifies them in U.S. carrier operations. This vital partnership and training occurred in preparation for the arrival of the Royal Navy's newest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, and to bolster the British carrier strike capability.

"Our squadron, the VRC-40 Rawhides, stays based in Norfolk. But every time a carrier strike group goes out, they attach two [carrier onboard delivery] to the carrier air wing part of the strike group," said Aviation Electrician's Mate 1st Class Joshua Gallaher. "We make sure the aircraft are good to go at all times so we're prepared for whatever mission is required of us. That way, when the ship requires high-priority parts for the aircraft on board, we coordinate through the Beach Det., our supply system on land, to get those parts out to the ship as soon as possible. Or if they need to get people out to the ship, we'll take them. We perform a variety of missions."

Gallaher said this is the first time he has worked out of an Air Force base during this type of deployment. He said they usually operate out of Navy bases such as Souda Bay, Greece or Sigonella, Italy.

"Working as the U.S. Navy, alongside the U.S. Air Force, builds a camaraderie between the two branches overall," said Gallaher. "I think the Air Force operates differently from how the Navy does, so for them to be able to help us, knowing we would do the same for them, builds a bridge between the two. Being in England, the Air Force has already created a relationship with the locals, so when we come here it means we don't have any issues."

Saxon Warrior involved the U.S. Navy assisting the Royal Navy by providing the platform on which the U.K Carrier Strike Group staff were able to operate.

"The strike group staff are currently operating those assets; the Destroyer Squadron 22 and embark Carrier Air Wing 8," said Lt. Cmdr. James Light, VRC-40, Det. 2 officer in charge. "The RAF are pretty much running our operations right now, in terms of logistics. When you look at the whole exercise, they're running the entire air wing through a notional work-up cycle."

The carrier on board delivery detachments are shore-based and fly out to the ship every day. Light said that there hasn't been a carrier on board delivery based in England since 2009.

"Our experience with RAF Mildenhall has been fantastic," Light said, thanking the members of Team Mildenhall for all the support they provided.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy , or www.navy.mil/local/naveur/.