Reservists provide personnel recovery support for major air combat exercise

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Anna-Marie Wyant
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. --  More than 120 Air Force Reservists from the 920th Rescue Wing participated in RED FLAG, a realistic combat training exercise involving more than 3,000 personnel from the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, conducted here July 13-31.

The rescue Reservists provided the majority of personnel recovery support for the exercise, which is conducted three to four times annually. The 920th RQW is the only combat-search-and-rescue, commonly known as CSAR, wing within Air Force Reserve Command.

This was the first time the 920th RQW participated in this exercise in nearly two decades. Col. Jeffrey Macrander, 902th RQW commander, said that had been too long, so he was glad the unit was involved this time.

"Red Flag is a really big deal," Macrander said. "It's a major force-on-force exercise. Our Airmen get exposed to high-intensity conflict in a controlled environment, so there's a lot of learning in a short period of time."

Macrander said the training at RED FLAG is beneficial for Airmen of all career fields and experience levels because it allows them to interact with other Air Force organizations and capabilities they might not work alongside otherwise.

"This exercise shows our Airmen how different pieces of the Air Force work as a whole, and how CSAR fits into the big picture," he said.

Macrander, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School located at Nellis, had previously participated in RED FLAG and similar exercises here. He said he is amazed at how much the exercise has evolved over the last 20 years, and he is happy to see rescue personnel being incorporated proactively in the planning phase, not just being called in as a reaction to an incident.

Lt. Col. Bruce Schuman, the RED FLAG project officer for the 920th RQW, said incorporating rescue assets into this exercise is important because it prepares those involved for deployments where actual CSAR support is needed.

"RED FLAG is the premiere large-force exercise within the Air Force, so it's important for us to be involved," Schuman said. "There are dozens of aircraft taking off each day and night, and thousands of people participating from across the Air Force, Navy and Marines, so it's a great opportunity to see how we integrate into the overall mission."

Schuman said one of the most difficult parts of planning the 920th RQW's involvement in RED FLAG was scheduling personnel. As Citizen Airmen, the majority of Reservists have civilian jobs or full-time school apart from their Reserve careers, so balancing outside obligations with their military schedules can be challenging. Although RED FLAG spanned three weeks, many Reservists were asked to arrive a week early and leave a few days late to prepare and finalize mission plans and logistics for the exercise.  

"People want to participate, but it's difficult for many to take a whole month away from their full-time jobs and their families," Schuman said. "This year has seen a high ops tempo and a lot of demands on the wing, but our Airmen have stepped up to meet the needs of the Air Force."

Another factor in scheduling is the wing being spread across four geographic locations: Patrick Air Force Base, Florida; Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona; Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon; and Langley AFB, Virginia. Reservists from Patrick, Davis-Monthan and Portland participated in RED FLAG in a variety of roles including aircrew, maintenance, intelligence, pararescue, flight equipment, administrative support and more.

Tech. Sgt. Jason Summers, a pararescueman with the 304th Rescue Squadron at Portland ANGB, said this was his first time participating in RED FLAG, and it was a great experience.

"It's good seeing how the entire Air Force works together," Summers said. "Usually I only see the end when we come in for a rescue, but it was nice to see everything that leads up to the rescue scenario."

In addition, he said it gave him a better understanding of the different missions and roles throughout the Air Force, and he hopes it helped others learn about the combat-search-and-rescue mission.

"RED FLAG gives us a chance to interact with the people we might save one of these days," Summers said. "It helps us better understand each other." 

RED FLAG was established in 1975 to better prepare forces for combat, according to their fact sheet. Each exercise "normally involves a variety of interdiction, attack, air superiority, defense suppression, airlift, air refueling and reconnaissance aircraft." The purpose of the exercise is to provide "a peacetime 'battlefield' within which our combat air forces can train."

The 920th Rescue Wing's motto, "These things we do, that others may live," is indicative of their commitment to the rescue mission. To learn more about the 920th RQW, go to their website and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Flickr.