Page 17 - Desert Lightning News August 2016

Desert Lightning News August 5, 2016 17
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79th RQS hones skills during Red Flag 16-3Facebook.com/DesertLightningNews

Senior Airman Jake Carter

99th Air Base Wing Public A airs

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Kleinholz)
– For a pararescue Airmen, there
is one simple creed that they live Senior Airman Frankie Harper, a loadmaster assigned to the 79th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., performs pre- ight checks
by, ‘ at others may live’. Whether on an HC-130J Combat King II prior to a Red Flag 16-3 night training mission July 13, 2016 at Nellis AFB, Nev. HC-130J crews normally y night at
those “others” are down range or are low to medium altitude levels in contested or sensitive environments, both over land or overwater. Crews use night vision goggles for tactical ight
on American soil in a training en- pro les to avoid detection to accomplish covert in ltration/ex ltration and transload operations.
vironment, the 79th Rescue Squad-
ron, from Davis-Monthan Air Force ticipating in Red Flag, Montgom- our mindset is getting the plane fly everyday so this will help the
Base, Arizona came to Nellis to par- ery wants to educate the other air ready, because at any point some- younger Airmen get ready for future
ticipate in Red Flag 16-3 so they can capabilities of the RQS limitations thing could happen and at that time deployments and for the older Air-
uphold that creed. and capabilities. we have to be ready when the time men it is a refresher that will help us
comes,” said Snapp. “Also while we when we deploy again.”
For three weeks, the Airmen of “Our mission is practice reactive are here, we will be conducting
the 79th RQS will train and inte- personnel recovery, as well taking aerial refueling for the helicopters With the high tempo training,
grate with other units from around part in deliberately planned per- where we have two aerial refueling Montgomery sees this opportunity
the world and military where they sonnel recovery task force,” said pods that we can use to refuel them.” as the best training available for his
can apply the new found skills in a Montgomery. “On top of that, I be- Airmen to be participating in with a
deployed environment. lieve our other mission is to educate With Snapp also deploying twice deployment on the horizon.
other communities on Rescue’s own in his career so far, he considers Red
“ e biggest thing I’m hoping my limitations and capabilities, so that, Flag a great exercise that mirrors a “Red Flag is a great training event
aircrew take away from Red Flag is should we be involved in a reactive deployment scenario where it will for our aircrew, especially because
total force integration. As combat event downrange, all parties are help Airmen. right now we are a very young com-
rescue, our downrange mission to better poised for success.” munity,” said Montgomery. “ e
protect the combat forces perform- “ is exercise is almost the same majority of my aircrew have never
ing strikes and air defense, but often During the exercise, the HC- type of high tempo operations as been to Red Flag and have never
it is from a forward base in the area 130J, assigned to the 79th RQS a deployment. I’ve deployed twice deployed, so the lessons that we’re
of responsibility,” said Maj. Edward will be suppling aerial refueling already and this is almost the exact learning here will be directly applied
Montgomery, 79th RQS detach- to helicopters participating in Red same thing as a deployment,” said to an upcoming deployment. In this
ment commander. “To be able to Flag 16-3. Snapp. “You have to meet tanker regard, there is no better training
integrate and plan side-by-side with times, time to drop people and we for us to be participating in.”
the actual strikers and fighters and “During the exercise for rescue,
learn their perspectives and mis-
sion considerations in a way that we
rarely get to do downrange, which
makes this experience invaluable for
us as Rescue.”

While working side-by-side with
strikers and fighters, the 79th RQS
will also integrate with members
from the Survival, Evasion, Resis-
tance and Escape career field.

“While we are participating in
Red Flag, we will be integrating with
SERE members,” said Senior Airman
Joshua Snapp, 923rd Aircraft Main-
tenance Squadron electrical and
environmental systems journey-
man, who works hand-in-hand with
the 79th RQS. “At home station, we
usually work with pararescue. But
it’s great when we come to Red Flag
because when I was here last, we
were able to integrate with Austra-
lians when they also had C-130’s so
we were able to work hand-in-hand
with one another.”

With rescue being the main mis-
sion for the 79th RQS while par-