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BULLSEYE Feature 5July 29, 2016

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C-17 gains valuable training through integration at Red Flag 16-3

By Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum Not only does Red Flag o er the op-
portunity to collaborate with multiple
99th Air Base Wing Public A airs A C-17, assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., sits on the airframes valuable for pilots, but for mem-
runway before take-off during Red Flag 16-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., July 20. bers of the crew the exercise o ers a whole
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — Red Flag provides an opportunity for aircrew and military aircraft to enhance their other set lessons.
Since its maiden ight in 1991, the C-17 tactical operational skills alongside military aircraft from coalition forces.
Globemaster III has served as the most “In the back of the C-17 we deal with
reliable and maintainable cargo aircra users, and for Red Flag we’ve had a lot
in the U. S. Air Force arsenal with the of static-line jumpers and we’ve inserted
ability of rapid and strategic cargo and them into the basic eld,” said Senior Air-
troop delivery. man Ashley Igalo, 14th Airli Squadron
loadmaster. “We’re also capable of rapid
During Red Flag 16-3, the 437th Air- on-loads, where we’ll land and pickup
li Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South vehicles and troops during one period of
Carolina, uses the training provided at darkness. Its great training to be able to
Nellis Air Force Base to integrate pilots, get experience that.”
crew members, and intelligence Airmen
with other the other players participating Not only do they gain experience, but
to become more mission ready. learning to work with each other to ac-
complish the mission is a valuable skill
“At Red Flag, the mission of the C-17 that Red Flag provides the air crew.
is to insert either cargo or troops to sup-
port follow-on missions,” said Capt. John “So striker and faster movers pushing in U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum
Wendler, 16th Airli Squadron weapons rst, and then we ingress at low altitude
o cer. “ e C-17 is unique in the ability Sta Sgt. Austin Overbaugh, 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Joint Base Charleston,
that it can rapidly deploy anywhere in the where were not going to be exposed by S.C., aerospace propulsion maintainer, and Sta Sgt. Adrian Rincones, 437th AMXS crew
world. We have a lot of fuel and capabili- enemy assets, enemy red air or strategic chief prepare a C-17 for take-o during Red Flag 16-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., July
ties that can make us very lethal when it missiles. Once we get into the target area, 20. Red Flag enhances aircrew’s combat readiness and survivability by challenging them
comes to delivering cargo, equipment and we either do a strategic landing on a dirt with realistic combat scenarios.
personnel to that combat support. landing zone or a parachute drop where
we’re putting jumpers under canopy at
“Traditionally cargo and equipment is those target locations.”
moved via boats, trucks or smaller aircra .
When planning and executing these
e C-17 is unique because it can do direct missions, the ability to coordinate with
delivery. Basically we can go from the states all of the di erent players that partake in
all the way over to the combat zone, like Af- a multi-branch, large-scale exercise such
ghanistan or Iraq directly and accomplish as Red Flag is what is most valuable for
our mission by inserting those forces and C-17 aircrews.
combat equipment,” Wendler said.
“ e biggest thing from a pilot’s per-
roughout Red Flag 16-3, the unit spective is the integration with all the
from JB Charleston integrates the many ‘blue’ air players,” said Wendler. “We
cargo capabilities of the C-17 with other get to learn about what their capabili-
airframes and branches of service to ac- ties are, what their limitations are and
complish its goals. then we get to gure out how we t into
this ght because every mission changes
“What we’ve been doing here is a little from day-to-day. We may be doing one
on the smaller or micro scale, we usually mission set on Monday, and then on
take o and t into the strike-and-Sup- Wednesday it’s completely di erent.”
pression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD)
portion of the mission,” said Wendler.

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum

Captains Scott Levin. Michael Sattes, 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., pilots, Capt. Scott Levin, 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., pilot, prepares a C-17 on
Joint Base Charleston, prepare a C-17 for take-o during Red Flag 16-3 at Nellis Air Force the runway during Red Flag 16-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., July 20. Red Flag is a realistic
Base, Nev., July 20. In addition to daytime operations, Red Flag conducts training exercises combat exercise involving multiple military branches conducting training operations on
during hours of darkness to train for low visibility environment. the 15,000 square mile Nevada Test and Training Range.