Settled in, benefiting from Red Flag-Alaska 07-1

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kimberly Moore Limrick
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
Editor's note: This article is part 3 of a series.

Ellsworth's members settled in and got to work with everything they need for some of the best training available at Red Flag-Alaska 07-1 which wraps up April 21. 

As part of the uniqueness of this exercise, there are opposing forces. As mentioned in part 1 of this series, the aggressor role expands training opportunities across the board, to include ground, space and cyberspace. This provides the most-realistic simulated combat environment possible. 

In RF-A, the two forces are named Red air and Blue air. Red air simulates opposing forces tactics and Blue air simulates the allies. 

The day starts very early for the aircrews, said Chief Master Sgt. John Gillette, 28th Bomb Wing Command Chief and Air Expeditionary Wing superintendent for RF-A 07-01. They start planning next-day missions in a mass mission brief with all the players where they discuss each of the scenarios and the mission they're about to execute. Red air only stays for a short period of time then departs so Blue air can talk about tactics and their plan to win the "war." 

After completing that day's mission and after the aircrews land, there's a debrief for the players to discuss the kills and how the war went. The most important thing they talk about is how they can stay alive next time. 

Aircrews aren't the only ones working long hours for this exercise. 

"Our intel, weather, life support and all the other support agencies are also getting some good experience," Chief Gillette said. "Additionally, maintenance groups from all the bases are doing a phenomenal job. They're actually making it look easy." 

One difficulty aircraft maintenance crews have faced is the language barrier. 

Staff Sergeant Michael Johnson, 28th Bomb Wing Aircraft Maintenance Squadron defensive avionics systems craftsman said, we helped the French crews refabricate a Mirage 2000 pump to allow it to attach to a generator. They spoke some English but it was mostly point-and-guess communication. 

Another difficulty was the maintenance crew had to use a 65-ton crane to remove a radar antenna from a B-1.

"It was a beast," Sergeant Johnson said when describing that crane in comparison to the five-ton crane they use here. 

"For the most part we have everything we need. It's like being in a deployed location and we're getting all the support we need," he added. 

Sergeant Johnson said the living conditions are good as well. 

We all eat together at the dining facility and billeting is nice, he said. 

Chief Gillette agreed. "The living conditions are very good," he said. "The wing here has done a great job of getting us here and bedded down. It's not easy adding more than 850 people to a base and Eielson has done a great job."