Aircraft Parts Store

Staff Sgt. Cody Wyatt, 28th Logistics Readiness Squadron Mobility Readiness Spares Package and aircraft parts store supervisor, packs an MRSP with B-1 parts on Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Jan. 10, 2012. The shop has several MRSPs with a variety of B-1 parts for maintenance on the aircraft in preparation for real world contingencies. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kate Thornton/Released)

Ellsworth kicks off Red Flag training exercise

Published Jan. 18, 2012
By Airman Hrair H. Palyan
28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- B-1 Bomber aircrews assigned to the 37th Bomb Squadron and support personnel are scheduled to fly a group of combat training missions over the Nevada Test and Training Range from Jan. 20 to Feb. 3.

The Ellsworth Red Flag advance team is scheduled to depart Ellsworth on Jan. 18 with the rest of the Red Flag team scheduled to depart soon thereafter.

The Red Flag exercises are conducted in four to six cycles a year by the 414th Combat Training Squadron with the 57th Wing. The exercises are designed to be realistic aerial war games, aimed at training pilots from the U.S., the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other allied countries for real combat situations. The exercises include the use of enemy hardware and live ammunition for bombing exercises within the NTTR.

Since 1975 Air Force aircrews, other U.S. military branches and allies have taken part in one of several Red Flag exercises, each of which is two weeks in duration.