Intelligence Operations Airmen support RED FLAG-Alaska 23-2

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Julia Lebens
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  RED FLAG-Alaska is an exercise that provides unique opportunities to integrate various forces into joint, coalition, and multilateral training from simulated forward operating bases.

It’s a 10-day interoperability exercise designed to simulate combat and allow military members to exercise skills they will need in real-world situations. To be successful, intelligence operations service members provide the mission planners and RED FLAG-Alaska participants with the threat data and information that they need to survive in simulated combat.

“I learned how one aircraft or unit can assist a multi-nation/multi-service war effort in a big or small role,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Montel Elliott, an all-source intelligence analyst assigned to the Red Flag 354th Detachment 1 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. “I provide mission planners with threat data and adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures so that they can survive...”

With a variety of aircraft and service members from several countries and multiple units from various branches of the U.S. and other armed forces taking part in the exercise, RF-A participants require intelligence analysts to provide them with information to be successful.

“When it comes down to the wire, without intel we wouldn’t know what we are flying into,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Sander Smith, a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot assigned to the 97th Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington.

Red Flag is a platform for international engagement, and allows participants of various career fields, backgrounds, services, and nationalities to exchange tactics, techniques, and procedures to learn from each other.

“Everyone from services, public affairs, maintenance, finance, communications, petroleum, oils, and lubricants – everyone has a hand in getting an aircraft off the ground and to its mission,” said Elliott. “Not only are you helping aircraft, but ground forces, naval vessels, and even individuals who operate in a building and conduct command and control.”