VMFA-314, VMFA(AW) 242 arrive at Eielson AFB to participate in Red Flag-Alaska 16-2

Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Donato Maffin | U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. John Kilmartin, an air frame and corrosion control maintainer with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, unpacks paint and anti-corrosion chemicals for use during exercise Red Flag-Alaska 16-2 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 4, 2016. Exercise Red Flag-Alaska 16-2 provides VMFA-314 and Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242, based out of Marine Corps Station Iwakuni, Japan, the opportunity to train with joint and international units, increasing their combat skills by participating simulated combat situations in a realistic threat environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Donato Maffin/Released)  

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, AK, UNITED STATES

06.08.2016

Story by Lance Cpl. Donato Maffin 

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314, and Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA(AW) 242, from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, traveled to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, to participate in exercise Red Flag-Alaska 16-2, June 2-17, 2016.

The exercise provides a realistic training environment and allows commanders to train for full spectrum engagements, ranging from individual skills of the pilots to complex, large-scale joint engagements.

“Red Flag-Alaska is a large force exercise where we train with U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army units,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Gregory A. McGuire, commanding officer of VMFA-314. “We also have some coalition forces here, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force, so it’s a big combined, joint, coalition exercise to work together with a very large number of aircraft to get to know each other; sharing tactics, techniques and procedures on how we would work together if we were called upon to serve in a big, kinetic fight.”

Red Flag-Alaska takes place inside the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, which is the largest instrumented air, ground and electronic combat training range in the world.

The range complex provides more than 67,000 square miles of airspace, including one conventional bombing range and two tactical bombing ranges containing 510 different types of targets and 45 threat simulators, both manned and unmanned. This capability supplies enough room and support for Red Flag-Alaska 16-2 to host a large amount of aircraft participation.

“The first Monday event is going to bring in the neighborhood of 70-plus aircraft airborne at one time,” said McGuire. “It is a lot of detailed planning and detailed organization between the elements, but it’s a great training opportunity for the squadron.”

The pilots will deal with issues such as language barriers and new aircraft in the sky as allies or playing as the enemy during the exercise.

“We just got here and did our coordination today,” said Capt. Steve Parks, pilot with VMFA-314. “It sounds like a great chance to work with the other units that are out here like the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and, of course, the U.S. Air Force, who is hosting the exercise.”

Training in a large scale exercise like Red Flag-Alaska 16-2 is a stepping stone for the pilots and maintenance crews of both squadrons to be more experienced and knowledgeable in large-scale combat operations. This allows the squadrons to be more effective in combat and reduces the risk of casualties.

• Date Taken: 06.08.2016
• Date Posted: 06.08.2016 00:27
• Story ID: 200301
• Location: EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, AK, US
• Hometown: EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, AK, US
• Hometown: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CA, US