Airmen from the 168th Communications Squadron participated in Exercise FISGA RAIN 2025, a first-of-its-kind contested communications exercise held Dec. 8–12 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The exercise brought together joint and total force partners to test expeditionary communications capabilities in a high-stress, simulated combat environment.
The exercise focused on evaluating and improving the ability to establish and sustain communications while operating in austere and contested conditions. Participants established a Joint Operations Center, forward-deployed a Tactical Operations Center, and supported multiple spoke locations while operating under degraded communications and limited resources.
“Our participation was valuable to our Airmen,” said Senior Master Sgt. Meyer. “They got to experience training they normally don’t receive on a regular basis. Our Comm folks armed up, conducted convoy operations, and drove at night using night vision goggles — things they don’t regularly get to do.”
The training emphasized adaptability, survivability, and decentralized execution, aligning with Agile Combat Employment concepts. Airmen were empowered to make decisions within the commander’s intent while overcoming challenges such as distance, contested logistics, and disrupted information flow.
“I also gained insight into how mobile communications exercises are set up,” Meyer added. “It helped add to my toolbox and better understand how we operate in expeditionary environments.”
FISGA RAIN 2025 included participation from more than 10 units across the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The exercise reinforced the importance of joint integration and prepared Airmen to operate effectively in the Indo-Pacific’s complex operational environment.