Photo By Staff Sgt. Daniel Brosam | Senior Airman Eduardo Ledezma, Tech. Sgt. Kristopher Speir, and Tech Sgt. Aldrich...... read more read more
U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps maintainers joined forces at Kunsan Air Base to support MQ-9 Reaper operations during exercise Freedom Flag 25-1, marking a milestone in cross-service sustainment integration.
During the training, Airmen and Marines from four Air National Guard units, four active-duty Air Force units, and Marine Corps Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron VMU-3 and Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Training Squadron VMUT-2 collaborated to advance joint maintenance practices and validate Agile Combat Employment concepts in a real-world environment.
“Freedom Flag 25-1 showcased what’s possible when Total Force partners come together with a shared mission focus,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Eric Hurley, MQ-9 maintenance lead for the exercise. “More importantly, we validated the MQ-9 Agile Combat Employment concept in a real-world environment—proving we can generate combat power from a logistically lean spoke and rapidly reposition to stay ahead of the threat.”
The joint personnel enabled a small contingent of MQ-9s to forward deployed to Kusan AB for the duration of FF 25-1, operating in support of exercise and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command objectives.
Side-by-side, U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps maintainers aligned tactics, techniques, and procedures to improve MQ-9 readiness in expeditionary environments. Key areas of focus included rapid aircraft turnarounds, lean logistics, and streamlined troubleshooting—essentials for sustaining unmanned operations in the Indo-Pacific.
Meanwhile, integration extended beyond the flightline. At Gwangju Air Base, U.S. Air Force Capt. Sean Mac Lain, chief of weapons and tactics for the 50th Tactical Squadron, served as the MQ-9 liaison officer and lead Remote Piloted Aircraft planner for the U.S. Air Force.
As a platform capable of both kinetic strikes and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, the MQ-9 brings flexible options to the fight, making early integration in the planning cells essential.
“My role here was to represent MQ-9 capabilities in the mission planning cells and ensure they were fully integrated into the fight,” said Mac Lain. “From ISR to kinetic effects, our job was to identify where we fit in, translate that into executable mission plans, and relay those plans across time zones to our remote aircrews.”
According to Mac Lain, having in-person presence at the planning table, especially for remotely piloted aircraft—is key to breaking down barriers and building trust to maximize combat capability.
“There’s still a lot of ambiguity around what MQ-9s bring to the fight,” he said. “Being in the room for briefs and debriefs, building those relationships, and showing that we’re part of the team helps maintain accountability and elevates how we integrate with manned platforms.”
Mac Lain also emphasized the value of working with the ROK Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps during the exercise.
“I absolutely love working with the Marine Corps—they’re mission-focused, determined, and always lean forward,” he said. “And while ROKAF doesn’t fly the MQ-9, this exercise gave us the opportunity to demonstrate its potential as a force multiplier. Our team helped introduce the platform’s full range of capabilities, from precision strike to persistent ISR.”
Through tactical mentorship and daily integration, the MQ-9 community helped build shared understanding among the U.S. and ROKAF teams.
“Many of our Allies don’t have the same training pipeline or combat-tested experience,” Mac Lain said. “Being able to take the lessons we’ve learned over decades and pass them along is what makes this coalition more lethal and more unified.”
As Freedom Flag 25-1 continues to evolve, joint MQ-9 integration will continue to be a foundation for maintainers and operators alike in coalition readiness.
(Editor’s note: Quotes and information from Master Sgt. Eric Hurley were provided with support from Staff Sgt. Daniel Brosam, 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs)
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2025 23:38 |
| Story ID: | 497341 |
| Location: | GWANGJU AIR BASE, GWANGJU GWANG'YEOGSI [KWANGJU-KWANGYOKSHI], KR |
| Web Views: | 72 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, MQ-9 maintainers, planners integrate during Freedom Flag 25-1, by MSgt Rachelle Coleman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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