Red Flag-Alaska provides unique training

  • Published
  • By Compiled from staff reports
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Coalition and U.S. forces are in need of a realistic training environment for their pilots, aircrews and support personnel and Red Flag-Alaska provides some of the most realistic training on earth.

Coordinating this training is the responsibility of the 353rd Combat Training Squadron personnel, who plan and prepare each RF-A exercise.

" RF-A exercises are unique in that we can customize each exercise to meet the needs of the different units requesting training," said Capt. Ron Strobach, RF-A Senior Team Chief.

"We usually meet with the requesting units four months prior to an exercise. During the three to four day planning conference, we discuss and negotiate how each unit wants to train and execute to their training objectives."

As long as the training requested does not exceed the parameters the 353rd CTS has established, a unit can request anything from close air support and personnel recovery to traditional air-to-air and interdiction operations, he said.

"International and joint forces are eager to participate in RF-A exercises because of the advanced training environment we provide," said Captain Strobach.

The 353rd CTS controls the Pacific Alaska Range Complex's 67,000 square miles of airspace, one conventional bombing range and two tactical bombing ranges - containing more than 400 different types of targets and more than 30 threat simulators both manned, and unmanned.

Additionally, RF-A provides a different climate and terrain where large-force training can occur between services and allies.

"We don't go to war by ourselves," said Captain Strobach. "We will always work in some way with joint and allied forces. Training here at RF-A helps participating units overcome any employment differences that might arise prior to entering a real area of responsibility."

Once each attending unit determines the training they would like to perform, the 353rd CTS puts together a specific plan for the participants.

The plan includes details such as how many bombs they would like to drop, what aircraft they would like to bring and how many sorties they would like to fly each day.

The 353rd CTS also works out the logistics of hosting more than 1,100 extra people on Eielson.

"Currently we have enough room for about 1,100 people on base," he said. "As RF-A exercises continue to ramp up, more opportunities may become available to support up to 1,500 people on base."

Captain Strobach, who has played an integral part in more than 14 Alaska-hosted exercises, equates preparing for and running an exercise to that of a skilled juggler balancing plates on the end of numerous sticks.

"If one plate is off balance, it would throw the entire exercise off," he said. "It's our job to make sure we balance every part to make theses exercises a success."

To ensure success, the RF-A team will spend the next few weeks ironing out the details and logistics of the upcoming exercise.

"The ultimate goal of each RF-A exercise is to increase the friendship and closeness of our coalition and U.S. forces and to have them leave here better trained," said Capt. Strobach. "It's a win-win situation for everyone involved. It is impressive to watch forces come together to conduct missions they may not be used to flying and begin to understand how each other operates in a contingency environment."

This year's first RF-A exercise, RF-A 08-2, takes place April 7 to 18.