Photo By Master Sgt. Paul Rider | A tactical air control party specialist from the 116th Air Support Operations Squadron...... read more read more
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CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Members of the Army and Air National Guard from Washington state, California and Oregon joined in a test of battle communications and force integration here over a few days in November. It was the first ever squadron-level joint live, virtual and constructive joint fires training event that tied digital simulations involving air support operations squadrons, an air support operations center and tactical operations centers into live field training. Led by the Washington Air National Guard's 116th Air Support Operations Squadron and 111th Air Support Operations Squadron, Exercise Cascade Warrior 2015 drew participation from the California Army National Guard's 40th Infantry Division, the Oregon Army National Guard's 41st Brigade Combat Team and Washington’s 81st Brigade Combat Team.
Cascade Warrior included core joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) teams operating in a close air support simulator alongside two brigade tactical operations centers (TOCs) at the 116th ASOS, a new prototype simulator system running at the 111th Air Support Operations Center with 40th Infantry fires staff integration - all connected digitally and via radios and satellite to 116th ASOS JTACs in the field.
The ASOC simulator is a "prototype for a system of record" for Air Combat Command, said Senior Master Sgt. Greg Kassa, simulations operations chief for the 111th ASOC. A separate simulator at the 116th is a pre-cursor for a large-scale 270-degree dome simulator that is set to be built in 2016 as part of larger Washington Air National Guard Close Air Support Simulations Center of Excellence at Camp Murray.
The exercise was the culmination of “several years of hard work and progressive steps that started very simply on a bar napkin, and [it] has grown in scope each year,” Lt. Col. Raed Gyekis, commander of the 116th ASOS. “It has now successfully expanded to include amazing out-of-state support by the entire Joint team from Washington, California, Oregon and agencies in the DoD.”
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory provided support and equipment for the simulation. It was "the first time ever for an ASOC to be using AFRL equipment in a real-world exercise," said Dr. Leah Rowe, a senior research psychologist at AFRL, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
"From a research perspective, allowing operators to use the system we designed in a real world scenario allows for better operational alignment for R&D," said Rowe. "It allows us to design training like we would use in the real world, to train like we go to war. We're able to harvest data from the system to make it more applicable to warfighting. Partnering with the Washington Air National Guard here has been a tremendous win for us. It's a win-win. They get training. I get research."
The AFRL simulator at the ASOC, with the help of several Washington Air National Guard communications experts and a lot of troubleshooting, vastly improved communications with participants throughout the simulation, said Gyekis. "This is a huge step forward, connecting our entire joint fires team in a Washington Air Guard exercise. Like we have in the past, we will continue to build on this year’s success, as we link the new CAS Dome Simulator with the improved ASOC Sim and an even more robust training presence from our partners at the 40th Infantry Division, 81st BCT and 41st BCT,” said Gyekis.
At both of the Tactical Operations Center tents set up in the 116th ASOS compound during the exercise, a team worked to integrate the ASOC system. “We try to mimic the machine at the ASOC,” said Staff Sgt. Justin Fajardo, of the 111th. “We want to make sure the players have the same setup as we do. All systems need to be talking with no errors on it. When things are not connecting, we put our brains together to keep the systems up.”
"We're getting our handshake down," said Sgt. Ben Wiley, of the 41st Infantry Brigade, out of Oregon, as he worked in the TOC alongside TACPs from the 116th ASOS. "The Air Force and Army are putting our ducks in a row for real-world situations."
“We have to work together, support each other with assets and make ourselves more relevant for the fight,” added Capt. Dean Blachly, of the 41st Infantry. “We get to come up and see what [the airmen] do and share our perspective from the ground.”
Soldiers and Airmen experienced different aspects of the exercise. "The goal is to flow our Guardsmen through each of the stations, allowing them to experience the field perspective, the simulation perspective, and the operations center perspective - all three” within the span of the same exercise, said Master Sgt. Nicholas Wise, operations superintendent for the 116th ASOS.
In a wooded area several miles away at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, JTACs and radio operator/maintainer/drivers (ROMADs) relayed information from the ground back to Camp Murray.
"The end state is calling in airstrikes to put bombs on target," said Lt. Col. Erik Eliel, director of operations for the 116th.
Army Guard joint fires observers coordinated with the JTACs and ROMADs on the ground.
"We're doing a lot of really good integration, coordinating fires, getting used to talking to each other, just like we do downrange," said Staff Sgt. Alex Wood, a joint fires observer with the 81st Brigade Combat Team.
"Two wealths of knowledge come together and it's amazing," added Sgt. Paul Martinek, another joint fires observer with the 81st. "It's great to sit down and have face-to-face meetings so when we're downrange we'll know who we're dealing with."
With a successful test of the ASOC simulator by the 111th ASOS in the books, the AFRL will enter into a memorandum of agreement with the 111th to become the first user of the new system starting in March 2016, around the same time that the 116th ASOS plans to open its immersive dome simulator facility.
Furthermore, Air and Army Guard units will continue their work to improve live maneuver integration at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, said Gyekis.
Air Combat Command observers were on hand at Camp Murray and Joint Base Lewis-McChord for the exercise to "see what’s possible, how to do it and how this same training can be exported to other states,” said Gyekis. “It's a great opportunity for Washington and our West Coast Guard partners to lead the way with joint fires."
Lt. Col. Craig Sandman, cell chief for the 40th Infantry Divisions Joint Air Ground Integration Cell, who brought his team from California to participate in the exercise, emphasized the opportunity for ongoing collaboration.
"Instead of separate efforts, it's all one team effort,” said Sandman. “We will definitely be a part of this again next year.”
| Date Taken: | 01.09.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.09.2016 17:05 |
| Story ID: | 185957 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 913 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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