MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. — The 452nd Air Mobility Wing hosted international and friendly sister forces during EXERCISE BAMBOO EAGLE 24-1 (BE) and AGILE FLAG 24-1 (AGF). BE is an exercise designed to provide an expeditionary air base environment where allied forces focused on Agile Combat Employment (ACE) command and control, Air Superiority, and Joint War at Sea. While AF is Air Combat Command’s certifying event for its XAB Force Elements throughout the Air Force, ensuring that the forces are ACE-capable and tests the ability to generate combat airpower while continuing to maneuver in a dynamic and contested environment.
The inclusion of the 452 AMW provides a unique maritime training zone over the Pacific for warfighters to train in a combat representative environment that is hard to emulate elsewhere. March ARB is the largest runway of more than 10 BE and AF participating locations. As a whole, approximately 3,000 U.S. service members across four branches flew, maintained and supported more than 150 aircraft from 24 units. Additionally, close to 300 joint and interagency allies and partners from the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force participated.
Both exercises took place immediately after the third week of EXERCISE RED FLAG 24-1. An exercise that provides aircrews the experience of multiple, intensive air combat sorties in the safety of a 12,000 square mile airspace training environment at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
“Red Flag, is the tactical build up to the operational exercise of Bamboo Eagle,” said Maj General John Klein, the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center commander. “While Red Flag mainly focuses on training in air dominance, Bamboo Eagle will include robust efforts to ensure total readiness through combat representative training across multiple domains.”
There are significant logistical advantages provided by March ARB that followed the ACE model of training. The diversity of terrains, including deserts, mountains, and coastal areas allow our forces to train in different environments, preparing them for a range of potential operational scenarios. This variety allowed for air and ground exercises.
Air Forces of each participating nation were able to carry out the BE objectives of Air Superiority and Joint War at Sea because of March ARB’s proximity to the coast. The RAF’s sole air-to-air refueling tanker, Voyager KC. Mk 2, sustained allied fighter aircraft such as RAF Typhoon FGR4s, U.S. Marine F-35B Lightning IIs, U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons, and more with aerial refueling over the pacific. The military training area off the Pacific coast spans over 500 miles. This massive training area provides unique contested training opportunities similar to that encountered in real combat.
While BE took place in multiple locations across Southern California, AGF largely practiced ACE capabilities at various locations at March ARB. ACE emphasizes that airmen take on additional roles outside of their Air Force Specialty Code enabling them to be known as Multi-capable Airmen. Large public address systems were placed across March ARB’s flightline and loudly played sounds of bombs whistling by to simulate an enemy attack on an active flightline. The ground exercise included airmen from various AFSCs who performed Tactical Combat Casualty Care to airmen with simulated injuries and automated manikins.
“Training immediately after RED FLAG 24-1 makes us stronger,” said Lt. Reuben Merkes, 452d Logistics Readiness Squadron Officer, 452d AMW. “Exercising with sister bases in the air and on the ground enables us to improve interoperability and train in a way that reflects a future fight.”
The exercises being offered at March ARB and over the Pacific allowed for a combat-representative environment that helps our warfighters to develop the right operational concepts, capabilities and plans to bolster deterrence and maintain our competitive advantage against any potential adversary.
“The air space at March ARB and off the Pacific Coast is the largest that any of us ever worked in,” said 1st Lt. Tom Raeburn, RAF Typhoon FGR4 Pilot, 6 Squadron, “It allowed us a greater variety of exercises than we could simulate in the UK.”
All in all, the exercises allowed airmen to work closely with sister services, synchronized efforts to improve joint interoperability, increased timely data-sharing, and unify command and control across all warfighting domains.
| Date Taken: | 02.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.22.2024 17:00 |
| Story ID: | 464195 |
| Location: | MORENO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 236 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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