Photo By Senior Airman Randahl Jenson | Capt. Jim Henson, a B-1 bomber pilot assigned to the 34th Bomb Squadron, holds his one...... read more read more
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Aircrew and maintainers from Ellsworth returned from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, after participating in Red Flag 17-3, July 29, 2017.
Red Flag, a three week exercise, is realistic combat training in the Nevada Test and Training Range that incorporates ground, air, space and cyber forces to increase combat readiness.
Working side-by-side with several units and different aircraft platforms, Ellsworth Airmen were able to train like they fight.
“[Red Flag] lets us learn about each other on a level that we can’t really do separated,” said Capt. Caesar Cardenas, a B-1 bomber weapons system operator assigned to the 34th Bomb Squadron. “We can step into each other’s rooms and talk one-on-one and really get into the tactics of our own platforms.”
While the exercise focuses on interoperability between units that typically don’t work together, the 34th BS saw significant improvement within their own squadron.
“One thing we did really well as a whole deployed unit was working together to get the jets off of the ground,” Cardenas said. “We had a great maintenance rate and I think it was awesome.”
With aircraft conducting multiple sorties a day, weapons specialists played a major role in keeping the five B-1s at Nellis AFB mission-ready by maintaining sniper pods, refilling counter-measures and performing
overall upkeep.
“It was a great experience,” said Airman 1st Class Justin McCracken, a weapons load crew member assigned to the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. “If I can go again next year, I definitely would.”
As this iteration of Red Flag comes to an end, aircrew and maintainers share one thing in common: They’re glad to be home, but they’re ready for the next exercise.
“It’s great to be home, sleeping in your own bed and seeing your family,” Cardenas said. “Anytime we go to Nellis we always come back feeling better and more knowledgeable – I’m looking forward to next year.”
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2017 18:15 |
| Story ID: | 243352 |
| Location: | ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SD, US |
| Web Views: | 101 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Aircrew, maintainers test skills at Red Flag 17-3, by SrA Randahl Jenson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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