Misawa forces wrap up participation in Northern Edge 2009

  • Published
  • By Air Force 1st Lt. John Callahan and Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Andrew Miller
  • Northern Edge Joint Information Bureau
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Approximately 180 members of the 14th Fighter Squadron - together with members of a range of support units drawn from the 35th Fighter Wing -- prepared to return to Misawa today after spending about a month here participating in Northern Edge 2009.
Northern Edge is a massive, multi-service exercise that sprawled across the sea and skies of America's largest state. The Misawa contingent flew and supported a dozen F-16s, occasionally acting as aggressors versus aircraft from other units. It marked the first time the 14th Fighter Squadron participated in this annual exercise.
"Our participation in this exercise was valuable in a number of ways," said the squadron's commander, Lt. Col. Shane Riza. "First, it's good to see an overall level of threat greater than we normally deal with--our support to PACOM drives home we can never let up on our preparation for full-scale air wars; the cost of failure is simply too great. Additionally, this exercise required us to integrate with the Navy, Marines, and Special Operations forces along with other Air Force units - particularly with those flying Eagles and Raptors. We rarely get an opportunity to fight together in a such full-up scenarios as we experienced here."
Northern Edge 2009 covered the two-week period from June 15 to June 26. The 14th Fighter Squadron arrived here early, Riza said, to take advantage of the training opportunities afforded by Alaska's expansive airspace and bombing ranges.
"We were able to do very high-quality training during that time," he noted. "We dropped live weapons and shot live missiles--things we simply aren't able to do back in Japan. We were also able to accomplish upgrade and qualification training outside of the Northern Edge exercise. We could not have done it without the phenomenal support from the 353rd Combat Training Squadron and 18th Aggressor Squadron enabling our flying operations and acting as world-class adversaries respectively."
Northern Edge, which involved almost 200 aircraft, provided nearly 9,000 service members from all branches of the military the opportunity to train together on, above and afloat in Alaska's massive training areas. In addition to the permanent personnel already here, almost 2,000 personnel deployed to Alaska from the United States, Japan and South Korea while another 5,000 were stationed aboard an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Alaska.
"This exercise was designed to train participants in a joint environment, which is an essential element of preparation for combat," said Air Force Brigadier Gen. Mark W. Graper, 354th Fighter Wing commander. "It allows the service members to practice tactics, techniques and procedures which need to be synchronized between the different branches of the military."
Across the board, better command, control, communication and understanding between each service were some of the most important practices sharpened during the event in order to develop better interoperable plans for the future.
According to Air Force Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins, commanding general of Alaskan Command and 11th Air Force, being able to train here each year is valuable because there are more than 65,000 square miles of available training space over land, and 120,000 when including the Gulf of Alaska. This space includes Alaska's Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, Gulf of Alaska restricted air space, and an in-transit corridor connecting military training air space and live-fire training ranges.
"Northern Edge is the premier exercise conducted within the Pacific Command's area of responsibility," said Atkins. "It lets our joint warfighters learn about each other."
Learning about each other, and the way the varying services operate is very important, according to Air Force Maj. Lyle Dawley, Northern Edge exercise control team chief.
"Communication can be a big challenge," he said. "We don't always speak the same language whether we are on the ground or in the air."
Realistic scenarios were employed during the exercise so each unit could get the most out of the training, particularly in the areas of defensive counter-air, close-air support, air interdiction of marine targets and personnel recovery missions.
Many of the air-borne scenarios required pilots to stay in the air for long periods of time, and the Alaska National Guard's 168th Air Refueling Squadron was there to make that happen. The Eielson-based squadron flies KC-135 refuelers.
"It's like these guys are pulling into a full-service flying gas station," said Air Force Lt. Col. Tim Trefts, the squadron's wing plans officer. "This gets our fighter pilots deeper into enemy lines and cuts down on the time it takes to get air support to guys on the ground."
In another exercise scenario, members of a West Coast based Navy SEAL team trained with Fort Wainwright's Army Task Force 49, conducting security missions and insertions from CH-47D Chinooks in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex. They also practiced river crossing techniques in Phelan Creek with instructors from the Northern Warfare Training Center.
"The water was pretty cold and the current was fast, but our guys weren't afraid to get in there and go to work," said one senior SEAL team member. "The training that we are learning here is invaluable. We are always looking for ways to improve skills; Northern Edge 09 gives us an opportunity to do that."
The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, which consists of the USS John C. Stennis, Carrier Air Wing 9 and USS Antietam, was stationed in the Gulf of Alaska for its portion of the exercise. The carrier was the chief asset of the naval component commander in the exercise scenario, as well as providing airpower when necessary, according to a pre-exercise statement made by Navy Capt. Joseph Kuzmick, Stennis commanding officer.
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni supported the exercise at Eielson Air Force Base with various components of personnel including Marines and sailors with Marine Aircraft Group 12 headquarters, Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12, and augments from Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron such as the Provost Marshal's Office and Public Affairs. Additional Marines also supported from Marine Air Control Squadron 4 out of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan. Also from Futenma, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 operated at Elmendorf Air Force Base. In all, approximately 290 Marines and sailors from III Marine Expeditionary Force participated.
"Northern Edge is MAG-12's best opportunity to get together with the Navy and Air Force to practice advanced tactics in missions that are similar to what we would have to do here in the Pacific area of operations," said Lt. Col. James Walker, MAG-12 operations officer. "We work with large forces here, 50 to 60 aircraft at a time, and that's not something we get to do on a daily basis. So, this is a good opportunity for MAG-12 to train in a tactical environment."
In addition to the Misawa contingent, other units which supported Exercise Northern Edge out of Eielson AFB included B-52H Stratofortresses from Barksdale AFB, La.; F-15 Strike Eagles from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; and Eielson's F-16 Aggressors.
Exercise Northern Edge is just one in a series of Pacific Command sponsored exercises that helps forces prepare to respond to potential future crises in the Asia Pacific region.