Eielson intelligence flight supports Red Flag-Alaska

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nora Anton
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) --  Airmen with the 354th Operations Support Squadron Intelligence Flight here are providing U.S. and allied forces intelligence scenarios and targeting materials to support Exercise Red Flag-Alaska 08-2 running April 3 through 18.

Eielson Air Force Base and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, are the home of Red Flag-Alaska, a realistic, 10-day air combat training exercise where aircrews are subjected to every conceivable combat threat.

The exercise is a multiservice, multiplatform coordinated, combat operations exercise and corresponds to the designed operational capability of participating units. At the height of the exercise, up to 70 jet fighters can be operating in the same airspace at one time.

"During the exercise, we provide pre- and post-mission briefings," said Staff Sgt. Olivia Montgomery, the 354th OSS Intelligence Flight NCO in charge of training. "This gives us an opportunity to learn and interact with our allies who are here to train with us."

The Airmen of the intelligence flight provide daily intelligence summaries describing what surface-to-air and air-to-air threats the aircrews will have to defeat during their missions and what tactics the enemy will employ, said Maj. Charles Freel, the 354th OSS Intelligence Flight commander. 

Red Flag-Alaska exercises take place over Alaskan and Western Canadian airspace. The entire airspace is made up of 17 permanent military operations areas and high altitude training areas, plus two restricted areas, for a total airspace of more than 67,000 square miles. Imagery, diagrams and descriptions of various structures and buildings on the Pacific Alaska Range Complex are examples of targeting materials the aircrew practice bombing with both live and simulated weapons.

"Our folks are working at least 12-hour shifts to ensure the visiting units have a realistic scenario to have a successful exercise and meet their training objectives," Major Freel said.

Members of the intelligence flight have gone out of their way to include allies to maximize the sharing of intelligence information and procedures, the major said.

"We have coalition intelligence personnel supporting both their own flying squadrons as well as an Australian intelligence officer embedded within the U.S. Combat Intel Cell," he said.

Australian Flt. Lt. Anthony Cullen, a 75th Squadron intelligence instructor, is currently deployed from the Gold Coast of Queensland from Australia to support of Red Flag-Alaska 08-2.

"The experience I'm getting out of the exercise is the opportunity to work closely with the U.S., Canadian and United Kingdom air forces," he said. "The best part of my job is working with a keen and enthusiastic team achieving the most high-quality and professional mission support to aircrew flying into harm's way."

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