Philippine Air Force, Marines conduct close air support training

Photo By Staff Sgt. Anne Henry | Philippine Air Force Staff Sgt. John E. Jonson observes an F/A-18C Hornet as it conducts a show of force during close air support training at Crow Valley, Republic of the Philippines in support of Amphibious Landing Exercise 14, Sept. 29. The training itself left both parties confident in each other’s abilities. The recurrence of PHIBLEX, now in its 30th year, demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. and Republic of the Philippines to mutual security and their longtime partnership Jonson is with 710 Special Operations Wing. U.S. Marines and sailors from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade and III Marine Expeditionary Force train with their Philippine counterparts during PHIBLEX 14. (Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Anne K. Henry/RELEASED)  

CROW VALLEY, CAPAS, TARLAC, PHILIPPINES

09.28.2013

Story by Lance Cpl. Anne Henry 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

CROW VALLEY, Philippines - Philippine Air Force members and U.S. Marines worked together to conduct close air support training Sept. 28 at Crow Valley, Republic of the Philippines during Amphibious Landing Exercise 2014.

The training enabled the PAF to work together with the Marine pilots, improving the interoperability between both forces, and readiness for future engagements.

"This bilateral training was a great opportunity for us to work with international forces and see that our joint standards for close air support are being taught and adhered to around the world," said Lt. Col. Byron D. Sullivan, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 commanding officer. “Although we had a slight language barrier, I feel we were able to work well together and understood the commander’s intent for this mission.”

The scenario consisted of the PAF members from the 710th Special Operations Wing moving to a high vantage point to see the aircraft and give a situation update to the pilots of the F/A-18C Hornets and the AH-1W Super Cobras before they hit their target. The Hornets are from VMFA-232, currently attached to Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, as part of the Marine Corps’ unit deployment program. The Super Cobras are from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772 currently attached to MAG-36, 1st MAW, as part of the unit deployment program.

“The exercise today consisted of two F/A-18C Hornets and two AH-1W Super Cobras,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Carlos Sarmiento, the Philippine forward air control advisor with the 320th Special Tactics Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Group. “Upon completing this training, the PAF members will be deployable to combat operations and fully-qualified forward air controllers with the Philippine Air Force.”

In addition to the training benefiting the PAF members, it also gave the pilots the opportunity to conduct training they cannot regularly do, according to Sullivan.

“We had to fly in marginal weather conditions which forced us into a low-altitude environment,” said Sullivan. “This is something we don’t often see and made the training much more dynamic for us.”

Throughout the afternoon, the PAF members stayed focused on the task and completed it in a timely manner, according to PAF Staff Sgt. John E. Jonson, a 710th Special Operations Wing schoolhouse instructor.

“Right now, they focused on plotting targets on the map, making grids, and ensuring the aircraft strike the right target,” said Jonson.

It was critical that the intricate calculations made by the PAF members were perfect, as inaccuracies could have severe consequences for friendly forces on the ground, according to Jonson.

“All of these guys have had the best training,” said Jonson, “It is important for them to stay focused because at this stage, lives could be lost if any calculation is off.”

The day of training left both forces confident in each other’s abilities, leaving them willing to work with each other in any close air support situation.

“This training benefits the Republic of the Philippines and the Marine Corps,” said Sullivan. “You never know who your partners are going to be, or who you are going to be helping out. I would feel comfortable working with the PAF and I have full confidence in their abilities.”

PHIBLEX 14, involving forces from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade and III MEF, is designed to improve Philippine-U.S. interoperability, increase readiness, and enhance the ability for a bilateral force to respond to natural disasters or other regional contingencies.

• Date Taken: 09.28.2013
• Date Posted: 10.01.2013 03:42
• Story ID: 114522
• Location: CROW VALLEY, CAPAS, TARLAC, PH