LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
More than 250 Airmen and Soldiers from Joint Base Langley-Eustis recently returned from Exercise Eagle Flag, a week-long training exercise designed to measure units' ability to deploy and operate in austere environments.
Eagle Flag is held several times each year at the USAF Expeditionary Center at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. However, this iteration of the exercise marked the first time a joint task force-port opening unit participated.
"The purpose of this specific exercise is for the two units to come together as a joint force ... as a team, to facilitate forward movement of cargo," said Ed Parriski, EC scenario analyst.
Evaluators measured the units' ability to work together and accomplish their missions in the face of a variety of "injects," or scenarios, oftentimes interruptive or encumbering, introduced by exercise cadre members.
At the start of the exercise, Soldiers from the 688th Rapid Port Opening Element at Fort Eustis joined Airmen from JB MDL's 108th Contingency Response Group to establish an airfield and coordinate logistical operations. Afterward, Airmen from the 633rd Mission Support Group deployed into the field, setting up camp and operating the airfield.
The 688th RPOE ensured palletized cargo and equipment was unloaded at the airfield and transported to a "forward node," a staging area away from passenger traffic and airfield operations, for the 633 MSG team, known in the exercise as the 421st Air Expeditionary Group, to retrieve and use to establish its expeditionary base, named Forward Operating Base Crossbow.
The 421st AEG Airmen set up the FOB in the fictitious Kingdom of Nessor, a small Arab nation beleaguered by terrorist threats from a regional group known as Al Sayf, or "The Sword." The Nessorian government requested U.S. military support to deter and defend against terrorist activity, provide stability to the region, and help stimulate the struggling local economy.
"Eagle Flag is an excellent venue for units to practice working together as a team," said Col. Kenneth D'Alfonso, 633rd MSG commander, who served as the 421st AEG commander. "The EC has provided a unique opportunity for those participating to learn and build upon their expeditionary skills."
Throughout the exercise, the mock AEG constructed the FOB, began counterterrorism operations, worked in cooperation with the Royal Nessorian Air Force, and conducted diplomatic and community relations events, such as visiting local villages to spread goodwill and conduct business with local citizens.
While the group managed to foster excellent relations with the military and populace, the FOB came under chemical attack and artillery fire from insurgent forces in the area, giving evaluators a glimpse at how the AEG was able to defend the camp.
A seasoned veteran of Eagle Flag exercises, D'Alfonso said he was impressed by the team's performance.
"This was the fifth Eagle Flag that I've participated in," said D'Alfonso. "This has by far been the best group I've ever worked with."
Eagle Flag is designed to simulate operations in a deployed environment while challenging combatant commanders and operations with scenarios faced downrange. U.S. Forces must be able to provide a rapid, tailored response to a variety of universal situations. The exercise and associated training brings together those expeditionary support skills a combatant commander needs to execute the assigned mission in a realistic contingency environment, according to the EC website at www.expeditionarycenter.af.mil.
Editor's Note: Airman 1st Class Bryan Swink contributed to this report.