Special Tactics unit hones tactical, command and control skills during large-scale humanitarian crisis simulation

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Carly Feliciano | Special Tactics Operators assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, offload an HH-60G Pave Hawks assigned to the 301st Rescue Squadron, Patrick Space Force Base, during an exercise at the Eglin Range Complex, Florida, Dec. 8, 2021. The 23rd Special Tactics Squadron conducted a large-scale humanitarian aid and disaster relief exercise involving approximately 300 participants designed to challenge ST Airmen with a complex tactical and leadership training environment they would encounter in a real-world humanitarian crisis. Special Tactics unit perform austere air control, terminal attack control, personnel rescue and recovery, assault zone assessments, battlefield trauma care, direct action, and special reconnaissance across the spectrum of conflict and crisis. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Carly Kavish)  

HURLBURT FIELD, FL, UNITED STATES

12.08.2021

Story by Capt. Alejandra Fontalvo 

24th Special Operations Wing   

Earthquakes, hurricanes, and chaotic scenes in operationally degraded areas are common sights for Special Tactics units tasked to assist during humanitarian relief missions.

To take their skills of controlling chaos to the next level, the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron planned and executed a large-scale, squadron-led humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise involving approximately 300 participants Dec. 8, 2021 at locations across Hurlburt Field and Eglin Range, Fla.

“The intent was to overwhelm the teams when they get on the ground,” said Capt. Brian Claughsey, one of the lead planners for the exercise and the 23rd STS training flight commander. “We have 144 role players from different units around base and nine aircraft operating across three locations. Typically we’d have one airfield, and maybe three or four aircraft.”

The squadron purposefully involved several aircraft for this exercise to simulate the congested airspace in a HADR operation as well as the role players acting as local nationals and host nation diplomatic representatives.

Five different flying units across Air Force Special Operations Command and one assigned to Air Combat Command participated in the jam-packed one day event including: U-28s from the 34th Special Operations Squadron, AC-130Js from the 73rd SOS, MC-130s from the 15th SOS and CV-22s from the 8th SOS out of Hurlburt Field, Florida; C-146s from the 524th SOS at Duke Field and HH-60s from the 301st Rescue Squadron out of Patrick Space Force Base.

“The air players have to be able to react to the situation as much as we do,” said Claughsey. “Putting them in congested airspace is good training as well as having to react to [medical evacuations], make real-world fuel considerations, load plans and passenger manifests. Working through all those processes while reporting to headquarters run by a ground operator is beneficial for them on a tactical and operational level.”

The exercise not only helped to validate aircrew and ST operators on tactical skills, but also further developed AFSOC leaders’ command and control skills by rehearsing communication in a new command structure.

“Our squadron is providing a Special Operations Task Group with multiple Special Operations Task Units assigned,” said Lt. Col. Jesse Wilson, commander of the 23rd STS. “The desired outcome of this training is to be able to offer a tailorable force that can provide multi-domain solutions across the spectrum of conflict. This training will also give our leaders the chance to provide decentralized units of action to solve complex problems through mission command.”

One of those leaders was Capt. Nate Peeler, a Special Tactics Officer who served as one of the SOTU commanders for the exercise. In the scenario he was charged with leading three geographically-separated ST teams carrying out various missions including airfield seizures, surveys, air traffic control, personnel rescue and recovery, reconnaissance and austere trauma care. In real life, he was the ground force mission commander for the squadron’s humanitarian response in Honduras after Hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020.

“The situations presented in this exercise did a great job at simulating real-world problems, some of which we dealt with last year in Honduras,” said Peeler “Being able to get our younger operators exposure to this type of mission has been great training for them.”
In addition to relief operations in Honduras, Special Tactics and AFSOC has responded to several other natural disasters in Haiti, Panama City after Hurricane Michael, New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and across the Indo-Pacific region.

“This is a complex mission with strategic value to the United States that is uniquely suited to AFSOC’s combined capabilities because the mission requires a rapid response to a degraded and oftentimes dynamic environment,” said Wilson. “Watching our professionals work together during this exercise while integrating their unique capabilities to provide multi-domain solutions has been very impressive and inspiring.”

As AFSOC looks to maintain a strategic advantage in the new era of great power competition, maintaining readiness to support foreign partners through any type of crisis remains a key priority for the Air Commandos.

“We’re taking the most challenging parts and lessons learned from real-world scenarios,” said Claughsey. “If we rehearse those challenges then we’re going to get better and the better we are, the more we can help our foreign partners when they need it.”

• Date Taken: 12.08.2021
• Date Posted: 12.10.2021 14:01
• Story ID: 410912
• Location: HURLBURT FIELD, FL, US