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380AEW Article

Live-fly exercise tests base’s defensive response

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. April Lapetoda
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  As the alarm tone echoed throughout the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Airmen and Soldiers across the base donned in individual body armor took cover in the bunkers located around the base during an exercise here today.

Simultaneously, the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron identified incoming Theater Ballistic Missiles. They immediately notified Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battery, 62nd Regiment Air Defense Artillery who then quickly took to their posts and simulated the launch of Patriot Battery Missiles.

"After receiving intelligence reports regarding inbound TBMs, the quick actions of our crews led to a simulated missile launch defending the base against the incoming missiles," said Air Force Capt. Ryan Peterson, 727 EACS senior director. "The patriot units saved the day by locking onto the incoming theater ballistic missiles and destroying the threat within seconds."

Once the initial threat was eliminated, round two of the exercise began.

"To give the base a realistic assessment of our actual response to the possibility of enemy attack, the exercise was conducted in two phases," said Air Force Maj. Timothy Spaulding, 380 AEW chief of Plans and Programs. "The second phase involved an air attack."

"A formation of our 380 AEW aircraft was in the sky to pose as enemy bombers preparing an air attack against the base," said Air Force Capt. Justin "LAR" Davis, of the 380th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron chief of Air-to-Ground Weapons and Tactics. "Once the threat was identified, emergency notification went out to the entire base and our alert aircrews launched to intercept the threat."

As the threat level remained high, the base maintained alarm green while 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Airmen went into action to defend the base, and alert crews took to the sky above the base to defend against the threat.

"As soon as we received the order, we dispersed our aircraft across the airfield to maximize survivability during a potential attack and preserve follow-on operational capabilities," said Maj. Patrick D. Cain, 380th Expeditionary Aerospace Maintenance Squadron maintenance operations officer.

One enemy aircraft was approximately only 30 seconds away from closing in on the base, said Spaulding. Had this happened, all base personnel would've been forced back into the bunkers to take cover. Fortunately, an alert launch aircraft was able to destroy the enemy aircraft just in time.

"Once in the air, our alert fighters intercepted the enemy aircraft, identified them as a threat and engaged, destroying the enemy bombers before reaching the base, "said Davis.

The exercise lasted the entire day and involved every Airman, from the staff sergeant working at the Community Activity Center to the pilots who destroyed 16 enemy aircraft while taking no casualties.

"The way the entire base came together for the exercise demonstrated our capability to work together to respond to real-life threats and protect the base and each other from such threats," said Air Force Master Sgt. Anthony Powell, 380 AEW superintendent of Wing Exercises. It also demonstrated our ability to eliminate such threats, and then go on to successfully accomplish our day-to-day mission."

Spaulding agreed.

"As with any exercise, there's always room for improvement, said Spaulding. That's why we have exercises - to assess our response capability and make sure we are ready to carry out our mission in the most difficult of times. Our base today demonstrated we are ready and that we are capable - the Airmen and Soldiers came together and did an excellent job."