Vikings fly north to RED FLAG Alaska

  • Published
  • By Col. Allan L. Swartzmiller
  • 934th Airlift Wing
Elmendorf AFB, Alaska --  As Viking flight pushes across the Yukon River, an E-3A Sentry passes code words over an anti-jam radio that assures the crew they have a “clear picture.” Minutes earlier, a Navy EA-6B Prowler, launched its High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile which slammed into the Soviet designed SA-2. For now their path is clear, but before they can re-supply the Army Special Forces team with food and ammunition, they will have to evade the look-down, shoot-down radar system of the SU-27 Flanker.
In April, after nine months of coordination and planning, a 94 member team from the 934th Airlift Wing arrived at Elmendorf AFB to participate in Exercise RED FLAG – Alaska.
Eielson and Elmendorf AFB are the home of RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A), a realistic, 10-day combat training exercise that focuses on joint war fighting. Each RF-A exercise is a multi-service, combat exercise that blends the unique missions of participating units. RF-A utilizes the huge Pacific Alaskan Range Complex (PARC), which has over 60,000 square miles of special use airspace to conduct tailored combat training scenarios.
In June of 2005, when Lt. Col. Donald Petros became the chief of tactics for the 934thtOperations Support Flight, he quickly learned that one of his many duties was to, “serve as the focal Point for flag type exercises.”  

He met with the assistant chief of tactics, Lt. Col. Grelon Williams, and the two decided to research Exercise COPE THUNDER.  Colonel Williams stated, “We could learn a lot flying in the mountainous terrain, and Alaska sounds cool.”  Colonel Petros agreed and inquired about participating.  When the exercise coordinator at PACAF suggested contacting the Army about supplying airdrop loads, Petros went a step further and immediately began integrating the U.S. Armies Alaska (USARAK) into the Exercise.  “I figured we could get double the bang for our buck by flying in the Exercise and dropping Army paratroopers and equipment every day.”  Having developed a great working relationship with USARAK over the years, SFC McAllister was more than happy to accommodate.  The 4/25 Infantry Division had recently increased it’s number of jumpers and was more than ready for a Brigade Level Field Training Exercise (BDE FTX).  The BDE FTX sent 3500 personnel and their equipment to the training area adjoining the Military Operating Area used for Cope Thunder.  C-130 aircraft of the 96thtAirlift Squadron airdropped 300 personnel, a 105 mm Howitzer, ammunition and 30,000 pounds of Meals Ready to Eat during the first week.  “On top of all of the challenges of terrain, weather and ‘enemy’ fighters pursuing our aircraft, the Army airdrops really made the trip worthwhile,” stated Maj. Pete Hall, the deployed Director of Operations. 


In the fall of 2005 as the deployment planning intensified we were once again approached and offered to staff the Air Expeditionary Group (AEG). In an Air Expeditionary Force the AEG would fall under the Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW) which in this exercise was located at Eielson AFB. It’s important to note aircrews aren’t the only ones who benefit from the RED FLAG-Alaska experience. Running the AEG also provided an operations training environment for participants such as intelligence, life support, logistics supply, personnel, maintenance, and command and control elements. By providing generic, unclassified scenarios using common worldwide threats and simulated combat conditions, RED FLAG-Alaska gives everyone an opportunity to make the tough calls combat often requires. Staffing the AEG involved many more 934 AW members and in turn help mitigate our risk management. After soliciting for volunteers we were quickly assured that the 934thtAirlift Wing could provide excellent support.
“The deployment couldn’t have been better,” Said Senior Master Sgt. Tom Anderson, the deployed First Sergeant. After a quick layover at McChord AFB, Wash. our advance team arrived in time to spin up our operations and prepare for the main package. The mandatory safety briefings and local familiarization flights took another two days after everyone arrived and then our team was ready. 

The air war started like many others here at RED FLAG - Alaska, but the insertion of live combat paratroopers into the mix added a new element to this exercise. The 934 AW safely inserted over 500 troops, re-supplied them 10 times with ammunition and food and then re-deployed them back to Ft. Richardson. Maj. Jeff Harrold, the deployed detachment commander, was extremely pleased with the unit’s performance, “The White Force staff stated that this was the highest amount of airlift involvement they had seen to date and the level of integration with the exercise was superb.  We also allowed the “joint” part of this exercise to happen with the support we provided the Army. Maintenance gave us great airplanes and the crews performed at a high level for both weeks.   I think it opened some eyes as to the capability of the C-130 to employ in this high threat environment and be successful.  Every mission was completed; all airdrops and air-land objectives were met. Every 934th member pulled together to make this happen, it was a rare opportunity for us and we took full advantage of it. 

This was certainly a rare opportunity. In addition to attending to our own aircraft and personnel the AEG staff was responsible for all RF-A participants at Elmendorf AFB. This included 470 personnel, our 3 C-130’s, 2 E-3A Sentry’s, 3 EA-6B Navy Prowlers, 12 F-15 Eagles, and 4 F-15 Strike Eagles. With these aircraft and the ones located at Eielson AFB, it was normal operations to have over 50 aircraft in the air and fighting the war at one time.
Maj. Dave Zenner, the deployed maintenance officer, described the duties of maintenance and logistics this way. “No silk scarves on the flight-line!  After each sortie, the aircraft need some TLC to be made ready for the next launch.  In the few hours between flights at RED FLAG, an unglamorous, but tightly choreographed sequence of events happens:  Crew-chiefs inspect the aircraft to find discrepancies that appeared since the last inspection.  Specialists are then called to repair those defects with parts provided by the supply section.  The POL section re-fuels the planes, and finally the planes are re-configured for the next mission.  

While in the background the Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) troops maintain, deliver, and recover the maintenance-stands, power-carts, and other vital equipment needed to maintain and repair aircraft.  The daunting task of coordinating all of these efforts falls upon the Maintenance Operations Control Center (MOCC). All this is challenging enough at home-station.  Here at Red-Flag and other deployed locations, the element of unfamiliar territory, host-base relations, and simple navigation from lodging to the flight-line, and even to find the chow-hall make the task that much more complicated and yet, the 934thtMaintenance Rocks-On!”
Creating a Joint training environment has been a goal of the exercise staff since The Chief of Staff renamed the exercise from COPE THUNDER to RED FLAG-Alaska earlier this year.  The work of Colonels Williams and Petros has paved the way for including the Army in future Large Force Employments. 

In the end, Red Flag-Alaska was an outstanding experience for our personnel. The by-product of deploying, fighting and returning as a team were some noteworthy lessons learned that will be long remembered and contribute directly to our unit’s war-time mission. Of the nearly 1,000 missions and 1,800 flight hours at RF-A, the 934 AW flew 40 challenging missions in a medium to high threat environment with a 100% launch reliability and nearly perfect mission execution, truly an outstanding performance from our Flying Vikings.