Pacific Strike 2010: exercise tests air support capability

  • Published
  • By Rick Wood
  • Northwest Guardian
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington --  A training exercise held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord recently might have only involved 10 Soldiers and Airmen, a tent and a couple of vehicles, but what it demonstrated might change how Air Force and Army units conduct close air support.

According to I Corps' Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sam Ngaropo, Pacific Strike 2010 demonstrates capabilities that could vastly improve close-air-support operations for deployed units as well as in garrison.

"We're taking the I Corps Air and Missile Defense Detachment command and control vehicle, setting it up with the Western Air Defense Sector and having these guys who actually put bombs on targets in combat train with us in a digital environment," Ngaropo said. "We've never done it before."

Soldiers and Airmen can train with their equipment in garrison so when they reach forward deployed areas, they are prepared to integrate their digital systems, he said.

"It's a big thing to get them proficient on the digital equipment," Ngaropo said. "These guys go out with the Army, side-by-side."

Proving the concept might change operating procedures throughout the military, he said.

Col. Steven Gray, commander 13th Air Force 1st Air Support Operations Group, said he was impressed by the results of the training exercise.

"We're accomplishing extraordinary training, thanks to the cooperation of multiple Air Force and Army organizations," Colonel Gray said.

"The interaction amongst I Corps' Air Defense and Airspace Management Soldiers, the Western Air Defense Sector's active and Guard Airmen and the 1st Air Support Operations Group Battlefield Airmen is groundbreaking in terms of their shared use of the most current computer hardware, datalinks and tactics."

The exercise helps new Airmen gain experience with the digital systems and matches them with their Army teammates so they know who and how they will support each other before they deploy together in combat, he said.

"This exercise, Pacific Strike, was the first time these three organizations combined their efforts to find, fix, track, target and engage simulated targets using a fully operational digital environment, from home station," Colonel Gray said.

Future implications of tactical enhancements resulting from Pacific Strike are exciting, he said.

"Today, the Joint Base Lewis-McChord team is forging operational concepts and tactics that will be instrumental for American Airmen and Soldiers to win tomorrow's wars," Colonel Gray said. "Joint warfighting is all about combining our efforts, bringing together learning from operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and multiple exercises."

For those involved in operating the systems for the exercise, Pacific Strike was similar to a final exam for a course on integrating Army and Air Force systems.

Airman 1st Class Derek Nennstiehl, a joint tactical air controller, said the exercise gave Air Force personnel a chance to fully utilize the high tech equipment they have at their disposal.

"It's still a relatively new program that they are trying to introduce to everyone," Airman Nennstiehl said. "There's really no set guide or training program for it right now."

Using the digital equipment helps broaden the picture of what is occurring in a battlefield's airspace in real-time, he said.

"With the equipment, we can group together different sectors," Airman Nennstiehl said.

Col. Paul Gruver, Western Air Defense Sector commander, said the exercise keenly illustrates the benefit of joint basing and cooperation between the service branches.

"This exercise is what joint partnership is all about," Colonel Gruver said. "To have Airmen from the 1st ASOG and Soldiers from I Corps Headquarters training with my WADS team is just phenomenal."

The exercise not only builds and strengthens joint relationships, but also allows the units to tap into other joint resources across the services to better improve each organization's mission, he said.