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Exercise Red Flag develops coalition bonds

Marine Corps News

Release Date: 8/21/2003

Story by Cpl. Nathaniel C. LeBlanc

Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.(Aug. 28, 2002) -- From the Revolutionary War with the French to Operation Iraqi Freedom with the British, The United States' allies were ready and willing to lend their support during times of conflict.

To strengthen support with America's allied forces, The U.S. Air Force conducts Exercise Red Flag each year to develop aerial combat skills in a simulated combat environment for the coalition forces.

Red Flag provides the opportunity for allied forces to train in a large arena that gives them the essential skills in becoming combat ready.

"For Israel, we are relatively a small country that does not have the necessary air space to conduct such an exercise," said Israeli Air Force Maj. Joshua Pedersen, pilot with 101st Squadron. "We need to be very versatile, be prepared for anything, and always ready for the worst-case scenario. With Red Flag we are able to develop those aspects at a huge scale of operations."

Along with the Israeli Air Force, squadrons from Canada, Germany, and England are participating in the two-week exercise. It is designed to help build the allied forces as a team and integrate them into a superior combat force that can deliver lethal aerospace power at any given time.

"The biggest thing at Red Flag is seeing how a large scale operation works," Pedersen said. "It prepares us as allied forces. When the moment comes where we need to form an alliance, we'll know how to operate and work as a team."

When an alliance is formed to accomplish a common goal, the English language, terms and tactics act as the universal communication for the coalition forces.

"Prior to coming to Red Flag, our squadrons made a lot of preparations," he said. "We conducted a lot of training, studying, and flying in English to get ready for the exercise. Even learning the terms and tactics."

Red Flag gives a familiarization in the operations of an alliance for the coalition forces while giving them the intense training of 'real world' combat in the air.

"The level of training is amazing, the playground here is enormous with actual air and ground threats to go up against," Pedersen said. "When we are out there, we are getting locked on, shot at, and pursued by aggressors in this complex simulation." The coalition forces go head-to-head against aggressor forces who are composed of dedicated adversary squadrons stationed at the Air Force base, along with a British Royal Air Force Sea Harrier squadron.

"The reality created in this exercise gives us the best training in the world," said German Air Force Lt. Col. Martin "Bugs" Burgsmuller, pilot with the Fighter Bomber Wing 32. "It allows us to fly low, move at high speed through a large air space. The assets and set up are ideal to providing the best combat training."

The Red Flag delivers irreplaceable experience to the air and ground crew of all participating squadrons that will better prepare them for any conflict that may come their way.

"Once we've completed Red Flag, our squadron will gain the final step in becoming the most combat ready group," Burgsmuller said. "We'll come out of the exercise as better pilots and better prepared for any challenge we may face."