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TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The 513th Air Control Group provided command and control for joint exercise Gunslinger 22 June 1-24, 2022, in Salina, Kansas.
First of its kind, Gunslinger is a large joint military exercise conducted by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, and the Kansas Air National Guard’s 134th Air Control Squadron designed to increase aircraft control and training for potential real-world contingencies.
According to deputy commander of the 513th Air Control Group, Col. Alison Schorr, the 513th ACG seized the rare opportunity to work alongside Marine Force Reserve, or MARFORRES, the smallest of all the Reserve components, in the exercise.
“As one of many tactical command and control nodes in the larger Joint All-Domain C2 environment, E-3 Sentry AWACS operators must understand the C2 architecture of each service and how our operations can better support one another in a peer-to-peer, contested environment,” said Schorr.
513th ACG Air battle managers, Maj. Levi Limas and 2nd Lt. Stephanie Pihl-Jacks, provided support to the Marines and Kansas ANG in the exercise as the AWACS liaison officers to both the 970th and 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron.
“My role is to plan the mission for the AWACS,” Limas said. “We weren’t able to bring the whole Air Control Group here to the exercise, so I’m here to see what the exercise planners need so I can call back to Tinker Air Force Base to tell them what we are going to provide to the fight,” said Limas.
Schorr said the joint exercise with more than 1,300 military personnel from more than 11 training centers across the country provided great understanding and knowledge for the 513th ACG.
“It's not often an E-3 Sentry AWACS airman has the opportunity to witness the joint fight up close, and it was a great experience for me, Maj Limas, and 2nd Lt. Pihl-Jacks,” said Schorr. “As the USAF adopts agile combat employment, or ACE, as doctrine, the concept of lighter, more agile C2 nodes become a necessity. And who better to learn to combat agility from than Marines? Hooah!”
According to lead exercise planner, Lt. Cmdr. Constance Ramsburg, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing Aeromedical Safety Officer, military members performed a broad range of operations including fixed wing and helicopter operations along with aviation ground support.
“This exercise enables every participant to apply the skills they’ve sharpened during Gunslinger 22 in a large-scale, complex and dynamic scenario,” said Ramsburg. “By integrating joint training objectives and leveraging each service’s strengths, we enhance the lethality and survivability of our personnel while ensuring we remain ready, relevant and responsive in any operating environment.”
Gunslinger concluded training June 24, 2022 with a combat search and rescue mission focusing on rescuing two pilots from a simulated combat environment.
“By sending our 513th operators to train alongside Marines in their Tactical Air Coordination Center, we gain a better understanding of how best to communicate and coordinate in an all-domain fight,” Schorr said. “Hopefully, we can build upon this training and bolster our integration in future iterations of the exercise.”
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.14.2022 13:29 |
| Story ID: | 424987 |
| Location: | TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 182 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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