Photo By Senior Airman Colin Simpson | Airmen assigned to the 123rd Air Control Squadron pose for a portrait alongside...... read more read more
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Airmen from the 178th Wing’s 123rd Air Control Squadron completed a two-week joint training exercise on Friday at the Blue Ash Air National Guard Station, working alongside eight service members from NATO allies: United Kingdom, Estonia, Lithuania, and Hungary.
The exercise, held from September 9-20, focused on air battle management, ground control intercept, large-force employment, and air-to-air combat beyond visual range. This marked the fourth iteration of the training.
"We're excited to announce that, for the first time, a United Kingdom Five Eyes partner joined the event. Previously, we only had participants from the Baltics, but this is a new addition.” said U.S. Air Force Maj. William Rief, operations officer and chief of training assigned to the 123rd ACS. "The relationships we build during training are what truly last. Whether in the Baltics, Great Britain, or here, these connections ensure that if a future NATO mission requires defense, we already have trust and strong ties in place. They know the U.S. is well-trained, ready to help, and a reliable ally in times of need."
Royal Air Force Flying Officer Christopher Lally, of the Rapid Capabilities Office, highlighted the significance of being part of this joint exercise.
“Working with other NATO members and obviously working with the US. We have that special partnership. So, meeting native friendlies, seeing how they work and continuing to build that relationship is the best part.” Lally said, “It's really important to understand how our allies operate, and it's really important when you're training to be put in what would be a real world scenario together so you can learn from their experiences”
The Airmen at the 123rd ACS bring extensive experience from forward-deployed locations worldwide, offering unique insights to the NATO participants. Designing realistic scenarios that immerse members in real-world training experiences.
“We have the ability to make the Eastern flank of NATO more defensible, and therefore a tougher nut to crack for our near-peer advisories,” said Rief, “Through these partnered trainings, we know that we are strengthening the defense of NATO as a whole … allowing the NATO member states a better chance of defending themselves before they would need any intervention through the United States or additional sources of firepower.”
In addition to gaining more training experience with NATO allies, the event provided another opportunity for the Ohio National Guard airmen to work with their counterparts from Estonia, such as 2nd Lt. Iida Elise Reiljan, Ground Control Intercept controller assigned to the Estonian Air Force Command and Reporting Center.
"Exchanging experiences is essential to our job," Reilian said. "It's human nature to start copying what we see, and if we only work with Estonians, we might develop different habits. By learning from others, we can improve and adapt our standard operating procedures, so it’s important to stay attentive and exercise (with NATO members)."
The exercise served as another valuable opportunity to strengthen relationships and sharpen skills, ensuring readiness for future NATO missions in the greater power competition.
| Date Taken: | 09.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.25.2024 09:42 |
| Story ID: | 481565 |
| Location: | BLUE ASH, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 231 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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