MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho - From Oct. 1 to Oct. 11, one of our planes participated in a realistic large, force-employment exercise called Mountain Roundup. This yearly event is conducted at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
Usually in October, the Fighter Weapons Instructor Course (FWIC) of the German Air Force trains its Tornado aircrews at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. These jets and crew also deploy to Idaho and accomplish the mission employment (ME) phase of their course.
With availability of about 7,700 sq. miles of associated airspace, a variety of scenarios of modern air warfare are displayed during the missions inside the Mountain Home range-complex, and its two air-to-ground ranges.
Since the first Mountain Roundup was held in 2005, the exercise has developed into a unique training opportunity for the U.S. Forces, working closely with the Fighter Weapons School of the Luftwaffe.