Subscribe
SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands -- U.S. Air Force Airmen with the 563rd Rescue Group had the unique opportunity to execute dispersed operations and generate airpower across a long-range maritime environment during exercise Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC), the Air Force’s largest contingency response exercise in the Pacific, in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.
Conducted through the month of July, REFORPAC was part of the first-in-a-generation Department-Level Exercise series, a new way the Air Force is exercising to conduct large operations in contested, dynamic environments. The aim was to improve interoperability and multilateral cooperation, leading to a stronger, more capable, deterrent force.
During the exercise, the 563rd RQG operated in austere locations, leveraging relationships with local partners to utilize a civilian runway for its HH-60W Jolly Green Giant II helicopters and HC-130J Combat King II aircraft. The squadron provided a real-world persistent alert posture for U.S. military and Allied aircraft that were exercising in the Northern Marianas area as well as trained as a unit in long-range maritime environments.
The dispersed environment forced the 563rd RQG’s aircrews to confront challenges such as how to stay fueled while providing fuel support for other aircraft as well as communicate effectively across large distances through deployable communication kits. The ability to communicate with partners as far as Guam and Hawaii was critically important for exercise injects such as a simulated downed pilot.
“REFORPAC helped our forces become more mission ready, dynamic and agile by providing us with a variable training environment,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Jacob Parzych, HH-60W weapons officer. “Generally, exercises are flying focused or ground forces focused. In Air Force rescue, we’ve spent a long duration training to do this in small groups, but this was the first time we saw a larger footprint brought to a location like this, including sustained support and infrastructure.”
Besides working with local partners, the 563rd RQG received command and control and base operating support-integration from the 11th Air Task Force, the first air task force in the U.S. Air Force to deploy for a six-month rotation. The 11 ATF provided logistical support, operational setup, special staff functions such as the chaplain and medical support, security forces, airfield management and more.
“The ATF did a great job making sure that we had the facilities and the network capability that we needed to get in this fight,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. William Barryhill, 79th Rescue Squadron assistant director of operations. Besides the exercise injects, 563rd RQG Airmen also dealt with real-world challenges that included a tropical storm, a tsunami warning and a tasking to render emergency humanitarian aid to a local partner.
Because of their training, the Airmen of the 563rd RQG were able to adapt to these challenging situations and remain fully mission capable, making decisions under stress while working together with Allies and partners to improve military capabilities. “Exercises like REFORPAC are very important for our training,” Parzych said. “I’m a big believer that you’ve got to practice like you play. This was a great opportunity to bring the entire force presentation together to train like we actually would in a deployed environment, and it was the fundamental training that we needed.”
According to U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. William Theisner, 563rd RQG deputy commander, the successes at REFORPAC will pave the way for future mission success. “The whole team did a fantastic job at REFORPAC,” Theisner said. “Every single challenge we faced, whether an exercise inject or a real-world contingency, we met it and completed the mission. By incorporating new technological and military capabilities through exercises like REFORPAC, we’re more capable of responding to challenges in the region and beyond.”
| Date Taken: | 08.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.18.2025 03:26 |
| Story ID: | 545821 |
| Location: | SAIPAN, MP |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 563rd Rescue Group optimizes agile combat employment during exercise Resolute Force Pacific, by 2nd Lt. Grace Brandt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
