Photo By Staff Sgt. Jessi Roth | Container delivery system bundles descend onto the drop zone during RED FLAG-Alaska...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – The low thrumming of an incoming aircraft grows louder, the sun creating a halo of light around an approaching C-130J Super Hercules as it passes over the treetops. All eyes are pinned to the sky as the ramp opens and six bundles cascade from the back of the aircraft. The parachutes unfurl and the bundles gently descend onto the drop zone. The sound of the aircraft fades away as ground crew members scramble to collect the newly arrived goods.
A successful airdrop operation has been completed.
Airdrop operations during RED FLAG-Alaska are a common training element, and with players from not only the U.S. Air Force, but also sister services and partner nations, good communication and organization are key. This is where the Air Mobility Liaison Officer plays a pivotal role.
AMLOs are senior Air Force pilots and navigators, selected for the duty and trained on a variety of subjects including the complexities of aircraft landing and drop zone operations, radio communications, and translating between branches. Here in Alaska, one of their more specific functions is to bridge the gap between the Army’s 11th Airborne Division and the Air Force Mobility enterprise.
“Having an Army jumpmaster and an Air Force pilot jointly conducting drop zone surveys is a recipe for excellence,” said Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Eller, 11th Airborne Division G3 Air Operations noncommissioned officer in charge. “The joint partnership between the AMLO and 11th Airborne Division has been a force multiplier that has created many successful Airborne operations over the years.”
Two AMLOs are assigned to Red Flag, and share the responsibilities between Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base – Maj. Kyle Hormann of the 374th Operations Support Squadron, and Capt. Jacob Hauschild of the 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron.
“Our mission-essential tasks are to integrate with command and control, optimize the use of the air mobility system, and control drop zones and landing zones,” said Hormann. “From the very beginning of planning all the way through execution, we've got a valuable role to play during Red Flag.”
Preparing the drop zone begins a day prior to the event. As with most military tasks, Hormann said they follow a detailed checklist to ensure that every aspect of the DZ or LZ, and any special circumstances or equipment needs are carefully analyzed and the appropriate solutions are coordinated.
“Planning is crucial, and most of that is done by the aircrews and ground units, but we are there to fill in the gaps and ask the right questions because we see both sides of the coin,” said Hauschild. “There are so many moving parts for a successful drop, especially when it comes to personnel drops, that missing something in your plan can be catastrophic.”
Hauschild explained that, as pilots and navigators themselves, many AMLOs have prior airdrop experience – so they can set expectations and answer questions for ground forces as they plan for the drop. Conversely, because they are now on the ground, they can inform aircrews what the ground units need so they can tailor their mission accordingly.
“Working with the AMLO is a great resource for us, because a lot of them come from within our own community, so there is a familiarity there,” said Air Force Capt. Connor Tuma, a 36th Airlift Squadron C-130J Super Hercules pilot. “They regularly integrate with some of our most common users, such as the Army and Marine Corps. It really streamlines the planning involved to drop those units or support them.”
During RF-A 23-2, the AMLOs were able to work with the Republic of Korea Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense force, along with U.S. sister services.
“As Americans, we're very independent, but we can't have the single-minded mentality like we're going to do it all by ourselves,” Hormann said, stressing the importance of integrating and training with our allies. “We have to expand our mindset and make sure that we're integrating with our partner countries so that we can train together and work out the kinks.”
Hormann worked closely with ROKAF combat controller, Senior Master Sgt. Lee Pil Jun, on several heavy equipment and container delivery system drops during the first week. Lee said the experience provided extensive knowledge about the U.S. Air Force’s communications equipment and sharpened other skills that will be beneficial moving forward.
“I found the education provided on safety measures for the DZ to be extremely valuable,” Lee said. “The training also offered a great opportunity for us to learn the process of delegating airspace control. Lastly, my understanding of operational synchronization with the USAF combat controller regarding operations in the LZ significantly improved during the training.”
The involvement of AMLOs in the RF-A mission highlights the importance of air mobility in PACAF’s overall priorities, as well as the crucial role that these officers play in ensuring the success of complex and large-scale operations.
“Airdropping and landing in austere environments is as important as it has ever been,” Hauschild said. “Logistics and the ability to rapidly resupply forces in a battle have a huge impact on determining the victor, and with this training we are setting ourselves up to effectively respond to demanding scenarios in the future.”
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.29.2023 15:32 |
| Story ID: | 448122 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 105 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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