Photo By Staff Sgt. Cedrique Oldaker | A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II with the 356th Fighter Squadron takes off from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, in support of Red Flag-Alaska 2023 June 13, 2023. The Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex is the best place to train 5th Generation aviators. It is the Department of Defense’s largest airspace over land and its size is optimal to push the capabilities of F-35 pilots forward. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cedrique Oldaker) see less
| View Image Page
Approximately 2,500 personnel and 70 aircraft participated in the exercise at Eielson and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
“RED FLAG has been occurring for over 40 years, giving young Airmen the experience of what could or would be their first five combat missions,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Mike McCarthy, the RF-A 23-2 deployed forces commander from the 8th Operations Group.
Each iteration of RF-A provides a unique opportunity to integrate various forces into joint, coalition and multilateral training focused on different training objectives.
According to Capt. Eric Mentes, RF-A 23-2 team chief, this iteration focused on airlift operations with the capstone of the exercise being the joint forcible entry exercise. The exercise brought U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, Republic of Korea Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force units together to train simultaneously.
Eielson AFB hosted regional partners from the Republic of Korea Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force enabling them to exchange tactics, techniques and procedures while improving interoperability with fellow Airmen.
“The exercise has grown and developed over the years and one of the best aspects of it is giving us a venue for our joint and coalition partners to come together and enhance our ability to communicate, integrate and successfully complete the mission together,” said McCarthy.
Subscribe
