Red Flag exercises complete

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Carolyn Viss
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
Dyess’ B-1 crews returned Monday from their most recent round of Red Flag exercises at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Maness, 9th Bomb Squadron commander, said in the last six months every crewmember from the 9th BS and many folks from the 7th Operational Support Squadron, the 7th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Unit went through the realistic, simulated war training for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001.

“Red Flag is key to spin-up training,” Colonel Maness said. “We apply air and ground combat expertise in an intense, threatening zone up against an experienced, robust force. It gives opportunity to exercise inexperienced aviators before combat.”

During Red Flag exercises, units from Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, U.S. Air Forces Europe, Pacific Air Forces, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserves, Army, Navy, Marine Corps and allied air forces combine to form a Blue Force that engages a “hostile” Red Force in combat situations.

Red Flag exercises began in 1975. The Vietnam War had taken a toll on the United States with an air-to-air kill ratio of 2-1. That, following the Korean War’s staggering
10-1 air-to-air kill ratio, forced the United States to find a way to get fighter pilots experience without actually putting them in combat.

Nellis was able to provide its vast bombing and gunnery ranges for peacetime training battle fields, and as a result the Air Force now has the most realistic air-to-air combat training in the world.

Dyess demonstrated its ability to engage in air-to-air combat during the two-week-long Red Flag periods.

“We worked together as a team,” Colonel Maness said. “We were so successful in Red Flag that we lost only four sorties for maintenance out of the 40 that were scheduled. That’s indicative of the team’s effectiveness in day-to-day combat and reflects well upon the entire Air Force and the teamwork of Dyess as a whole.”

He credited their success to the teamwork between maintenance and operations groups, even though it was not an easy exercise.

“General (T. Michael) Moseley (Chief of Staff of the Air Force) was at the January Red Flag and implemented a unique new guidance,” Colonel Maness said. “He stressed
robust attacks by aggressor forces against Blue Forces every day. It was more challenging, but it had more good benefits and results.”

Now that the entire unit has undergone Red Flag training, Colonel Maness said he expects to send three or four crews every year, to maintain their operational readiness
and allow new crewmembers to experience combat training first hand.