Red Flag-Alaska kicks off: Texas-based Airmen

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Christopher Gross
  • JBER PAO
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  It's that time of year again, when aircraft from all around the U.S. and the world come to Alaska to enhance their flying skills in a simulated war atmosphere.

Four times a year, JBER and Eielson Air Force Base host what's known as Red-Flag Alaska, a Pacific Air Forces-directed field training exercise for the U.S. and coalition forces flown under simulated air combat conditions. The first RF-Alaska of the year kicked off earlier this week.

One of the groups participating in this year's RF-Alaska is the 317th Airlift Group, which is made up of the 39th and 40th airlift squadron along with the 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.

Three C-130 Hercules and about 120 Airmen made their way up here last week to participate. Most crews participating usually arrive on JBER or Eielson one week prior
to scope out the land and take care of any necessary planning procedures.

This will be the second time in three years the 317th AG has participated in FRAlaska.

Capt. Angela Stephens, of the 39th AS, said experience is key with this exercise. She
said there are a lot of young crews participating from Dyess, and it's really important they
get proper training.

Crews will have more than 67,000 square miles to get in the training they need, because that's how big the Joint Pacific Alaskan Range Complex is, it's the largest air-ground training complex in America.

She said she felt that Alaska's mountainous terrain is going to be very beneficial for the crews. "Flying in this kind of terrain during the exercise is a really good way to prep our guys to go over and (execute) air drops in Afghanistan."

Along with doing some air drops, the squadrons also hopes to get in some personnel drops, high and low-level flying along with some two-ship formation flying. Stephens also said just being able to interact and work with a variety of agencies to accomplish the mission is a good learning tool.

The main mission back home at Dyess is to be mission ready for deployments, Stephens said. They do some of the training scenarios there that they're doing here, but again the terrain is really the major factor.

"You have to really think ahead of you, (often times) five to ten miles or more to know what's coming up so you know when to climb," she said. "The winds in the mountains can cause a lot of different turbulences, so we (have to be prepared how to handle that as well.)"

Not only is RF-Alaska a good way to help pilots and aircrews sharpen their skills up in the air, but it also allows for the maintainers and other Airmen on the ground to become more proficient with their job as well.

Sachse, Texas native Airman 1st Class Keith Loughry, an aerospace propulsion technician with the 317th AMXS, said he really benefits from exercise like this "because it helps prepare the maintainers and aircrews for deployments down the road."

Stephens said by the time her team leaves here she hopes they can see how their airlift can help serve the overall mission, because it's an important one.