52nd FW hosts, attends Red Flag

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Clay Murray
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany --  It has been said time and time again: a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

This fate can be easily avoided, however, with just one simple concept that keeps the mind sharp: practice. From the moment Airmen first enlist to the last day of technical training, they are bombarded and reinforced by the routine of practice.

It should come as no surprise life in the Air Force after this initial transition is no different. With deployments, annual requirements and as many types of training as there are stars in the sky, it is more important than ever that Airmen practice at least a little bit before they practice again.

In the Air Force, one of the well-known practice scenarios, or training exercises, is Red Flag.

"As we know it, Red Flag is the big granddaddy exercise of them all for the operators," said Capt. Jesus Acuna-Perez, 52nd Fighter Wing installation deployment officer. The IDO and his team serve as the logistical lynchpin that supports a start, sustainment and completion for the operation.

First organized in 1975, Red Flag is an aerial combat exercise conducted by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center where pilots from the U.S., NATO and other alliances train together. Pilots train and fly for the 414th Combat Training Squadron above the 15,000 square-mile area known as the Nevada Test and Training Range.

"The broad purpose of Red Flag is to provide realistic training in a large force employment scenario," said Maj. Brian Scott, 480th Fighter Squadron flight commander and F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot. "Historically it was meant to simulate the first 10 missions - they are the most dangerous for pilots new to combat. The idea was to get them through those first 10 missions in an environment that only simulated attack, and it worked."

The event this year is hosted by the 52nd Fighter Wing and its supporting units. "Hosting means that we're the focal point for Red Flag," Major Scott said. "With it comes responsibility because we are setting the standard for all the other participants to follow. It also focuses on us because we're using it as part of our spin-up to go down range."

According to Major Scott, this particular exercise takes place on a larger scale and involves Airmen from a whole slew of Air Force career fields. Some of the participants include pilots, maintainers, military intelligence members, weather Airmen, medics and support functions personnel.

"As the IDO, I realize it takes a tremendous effort between operators, maintainers and logisticians to succeed in deploying machines, equipment and people," Caption Acuna-Perez said. "It's critical that we get the right mix to the fight. From a lead wing standpoint, it's critical to get the people and the equipment there in a timely manner. We have to set the precedence for the other participating units Air Force wide. The months of preplanning are critical to the two or three day execution in departing out of Spangdahlem."

For the pilots, not all of the training takes place above the training range. Pilots who participate in the exercise interact with aggressors, pilots assigned to the base with an upper hand - they know the air space.

"The way we interact with the aggressors is they will usually coordinate the air-to-air portion of the war, since they are the experts of the ranges, and they know the air space," Major Scott said. "It's their job not only to challenge us by simulating enemy aircraft but also to keep us safe. They also coordinate by deconflicting altitude blocks and (scheduling) times. "

After the mission, they will present the reconstruction of the air-to-air war," he said. In practical terms, this is a recreation of simulated air warfare in terms of flight paths, shots taken, validity of shots, any kills made and who won the battle.

"They are key to get the lessons learned on how pilots did air to air wise," he added.