The U.S. Air Force Warfare Center recently concluded Bamboo Eagle 25-3, wrapping up a series of training events designed to test command and control concepts in a combat-representative environment.

The exercise drew participants from across the Air Force, allied and joint partners, including the 12th, 13th and 21st Air Task Forces. Warfighters operated out of more than 15 separate locations, comprising both military installations and civilian airfields, spanning across the U.S., including Hawaii, Arkansas and California.

With more than 100 aircraft in play, the exercise tested participants’ ability to generate combat airpower, sustain expeditionary bases and execute dynamic battle management.

“We develop realistic training scenarios that reflect potential future operations,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Christopher Niemi, USAFWC commander. “This Bamboo Eagle provided some new challenges, including deployment of follow-on forces that turned to immediately generate sorties in a contested, dynamic environment.”

The exercise forced commanders to balance competing priorities, navigate resource constraints and respond to emergent threats, sharpening their ability to lead in dynamic and unpredictable scenarios.

“Mission command is about trust, empowerment and agility,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Koscheski, ACC deputy commander. “Through Bamboo Eagle, we’re strengthening our commanders’ ability to lead in the face of uncertainty, while empowering our Airmen to take initiative and execute with precision. That’s how we stay ahead.”

But it wasn’t just leadership whose problem-solving skills were refined. Airmen at all levels were provided opportunities to solve problems in unique ways. They executed the mission professionally and with precision, demonstrating their skill, critical thinking and innovation, enabling them to develop solutions to complex challenges in real time.

“We are building the warfighters we need through coordinated deployment and training exercises, like this DLE series, using long-range precision fires to enhance our combat readiness and interoperability,” said Lt. Gen. Adrian Spain, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations. “The more times we can deliberately plan, operate and learn together with our allies and partners, the better prepared we will be should a crisis occur.”

BE 25-3 also marked a major milestone for the Department of the Air Force’s first-in-a-generation Department-Level Exercise, a combination of five large-scale exercises spanning from the Indo-Pacific to the continental U.S.

“Bamboo Eagle 25-3 is the culmination of the 2025 Department-Level Exercise, which reflects our commitment to readiness, integration and innovation,” said Koscheski. “It ensures that in a high-end fight, our decision-making is faster, more informed and more resilient than any adversary. That’s the edge we need to maintain.”

As a critical component of the DLE series, Bamboo Eagle 25-3 tested participants’ ability to integrate multidomain operations and strengthened interoperability. It provided realistic challenges across sortie generation, logistics and command and control, and empowered Airmen to problem-solve in meaningful ways, accomplishing the mission each day.