Page 5 - Nellis, Creech, NTTR Bullseye 12-11-15
P. 5
BULLSEYE News 5December 11, 2015
www.aerotechnews.com/nellisafb Facebook.com/NellisBullseye
325th WPS garners neighborly support to perform SMOKEX
By Susan Garcia Courtesy photo by Susan Garcia futt AFB, Nebraska (RC-135 Rivet Joint)
tTU4RVBESPO
UI$BWBMSZ3FHJNFOU
U.S. Air Force Weapons School A UH-60 Black Hawk crew from 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion drops SMOKEX
participants at Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range before heading into the action which 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — is located about 10 miles south of Salina, Kan. SMOKEX, a large-force exercise, brings (Field Artillery)
Handwritten notes and charts filled together joint forces and more than 10 aircraft platforms from neighboring areas, all
the whiteboards on every wall. Printed supporting B-2 objectives for dynamic targeting. Although SMOKEX employs many
documents covered every horizontal organizations, the desired learning
surface. As the neighbors squeezed into students would normally participate with the opportunity through word of mouth. objectives are flexible enough to ac-
the standing-room-only planning room, the 325th WPS in an integrated event like The support the 325th WPS receives is commodate units who might want to
those who knew each other exchanged SMOKEX, but constraints on available integrate into it.
greetings and introduced newcomers. resources due to sequestration forced the varied. For example, the support for Class
Weapons School to revise its class struc- 15B’s SMOKEX primarily came from the “We’re agnostic in terms of the other
Each had a specific purpose for attend- ture in 2013. following participants: participants and the DLOs. Our objec-
ing, but all were dedicated to a common tive is to force our students to manage a
goal. They would plan and execute a Since then, the changes have created a tUI"UUBDL3FDPOOBJTTBODF#BU- dynamic tactical problem,” Hoadley said.
mission to ensure dominance in the air, misalignment of resources among squad- talion, Whiteman AFB, Missouri (UH-60 “Lt. Col. Adcock develops a very robust
eliminate dangerous adversaries, and rons and prompted the 325th WPS to seek Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache) script that has dynamic targets that are
ultimately forge Air Force weapons of- assistance from external organizations, handed out as the exercise progresses.
ficers confident in dealing with complex, particularly those in the surrounding tUI"JSCPSOF$PNNBOEBOE$PO- The plan ensures everyone is gainfully
ever-changing environments. areas. trol Squadron, Robins AFB, Georgia (E-8 employed for the duration of SMOKEX.”
JSTARS)
The mission was the U.S. Air Force Fortunately, outside collaboration has Most participants agree that the most
Weapons School’s SMOKEX training been easy to find. tUI"JSCPSOF"JS$POUSPM4RVBE- challenging aspect of SMOKEX is com-
event for Class 15B, which took place ron, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma (E-3 Sentry) munication. The 325th WPS discusses
Dec. 1 through 3 at the 325th Weapons “As organizations participate and communication flow at length during the
Squadron, the USAFWS’ geographically- learn the value of SMOKEX to their own tUI"JS4VQQPSU0QFSBUJPOT4RVBE- planning phase to deconflict terminol-
separated B-2 Spirit weapons instructor training needs, for the most part, those ron, Fort Riley, Kansas (Joint Terminal ogy and roles.
course at Whiteman Air Force Base, who have participated once want to do so Attack Controller)
Missouri. again,” Lt. Col. Nicholas Adcock, director “Working in the joint environment
of operations for the 325th WPS, said. tSE'JHIUFS4RVBESPO
8IJUFNBO and learning how other services talk and
The participants plan each SMOKEX AFB, Missouri (A-10 Thunderbolt II) get missions accomplished has been a
mission in detail at Whiteman AFB but Adcock begins compiling a list of par- learning experience for everyone. It all
enact the exercise on the Smoky Hill Air ticipants four months prior to SMOKEX, t UI #PNC 4RVBESPO
#BSLTEBMF basically comes down to communica-
National Guard Range, located about 10 but units often contact him before he can AFB, Louisiana (B-52 Stratofortress) tion,” Adcock explained.
miles south of Salina, Kansas. make a call. Other organizations discover
tUI"JS3FGVFMJOH4RVBESPO
.D- “The jointness and integration of the
SMOKEX, a large-force exercise, brings Connell AFB, Kansas (KC-135 Strato- mission planning is important in work-
together joint forces and more than 10 tanker) ing out communication f low,” Chief
aircraft platforms from neighboring areas, Warrant Officer 3 Shaun Defenbaugh,
all supporting B-2 objectives for dynamic tUI3FDPOOBJTTBODF4RVBESPO
0G- a pilot with the 1-135 ARB, agreed.
targeting. SMOKEX’s true value, however, “SMOKEX is definitely valuable from
lies in its ability to produce weapons offi- that aspect alone.”
cers who can lead diverse forces, especially
in unpredictable conditions. In the future, the 325th WPS hopes re-
sources will allow better alignment of the
The 325th WPS students are the mis- SMOKEX time frame with the rest of the
sion commanders for SMOKEX but Weapons School’s squadrons, so more of
quickly learn they cannot handle every- them can participate. In the meantime,
thing on their own. They must learn to they will continue to reach out to their
delegate and trust other experts. neighbors for integrated support.
“Students have to learn to be the quar- The size of SMOKEX has to be kept
terback and not try to micromanage the within reason, but “we have a tremen-
details,” explained Lt. Col. Daniel Hoad- dous capability here to accommodate
ley, commander of the 325th WPS. Weapons School and other participants
and keep it dynamic and fairly diverse.
Other USAFWS squadrons and their The options are endless,” Hoadley said.
An Air Force Joint Courtesy photo by Susan Garcia
Terminal Attack
Controller assigned U.S. Army personnel assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division set up an
to the 10th Air observation point to support close-air support during a SMOKEX exercise about 10 miles south
Support Operations of Salina, Kan. SMOKEX, a large-force exercise, brings together joint forces and more than 10
Squadron surveys aircraft platforms from neighboring areas, all supporting B-2 objectives for dynamic targeting.
the Smoky Hill Air
National Guard range
during a SMOKEX
exercise 10 miles
south of Salina, Kan.
SMOKEX, a large-
force exercise, brings
together joint forces
and more than 10
aircraft platforms
from neighboring
areas, all supporting
B-2 objectives for
Courtesy photo by Susan Garcia dynamic targeting.
