Photo By Senior Airman Maria Washler | U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. William Voelker, unit level intelligence officer in charge...... read more read more
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From May 28 to June 12, intelligence personnel were challenged with expansive threat scenarios, compressed planning timelines and coordination across multinational forces. The environment required them to rapidly analyze information, share assessments and support decision-making.
“Exercise RED FLAG-Alaska 26-2 provides an opportunity for us to rehearse interoperability with our coalition partners,” said a Royal New Zealand Air Force intelligence participant. “The scenarios provided ideal conditions to leverage our respective experiences and build a truly integrated intel cell.”
The cell was tasked to produce time-sensitive assessments while adapting to changing threats and simulated disruptions to communications systems. They practiced identifying alternate pathways for information sharing, leveraging established coalition networks and developing solutions to maintain connectivity.
The cell faced its largest operational test during a joint forcible entry operations, a critical event during any RED FLAG-Alaska exercise, combining joint and coalition forces into a realistic combat scenario designed to enhance readiness, lethality and integrated operations. The intelligence provided by the cell enabled mission planners and aircrews to accurately assess simulated threats, contributing to the successful execution of the operation.
“We’re doing what we can to make the best, most well-informed assessment we possibly can so that the decision-makers have the tools they need and confidence in what might happen in any given scenario,” said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. William Voelker, a 374th Operations Support Squadron unit level intelligence officer in charge.
Beyond exercise operations, the integrated intelligence cell strengthened relationships among allied personnel. Working alongside one another allowed participants to gain a deeper understanding of each nation’s approaches and capabilities.
“You get familiar with both the processes and the people that you expect to work with, and not just in an online or theoretical sense, it’s really a practical sense,” said Voelker. “I think it makes us more competent as individual militaries and more competent as a whole allied force.”
Directed by Pacific Air Forces and executed at JBER and Eielson Air Force Base, RED FLAG-Alaska 26-2 provides realistic combat training that sharpens warfighting skills and strengthens interoperability among U.S. and partner-nation forces.
| Date Taken: | 06.10.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.15.2026 20:48 |
| Story ID: | 567671 |
| Location: | ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Integrated intelligence cell sharpens readiness during RED FLAG-Alaska 26-2, by SrA Maria Washler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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