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Beale reservists learn, excel at Talisman Saber 2013

  • Published
  • By Dana Lineback
  • 940th Wing
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Reservists from the 940th Wing here returned last week from Talisman Saber 2013, bringing home invaluable training experience and an outstanding performer award from the multiservice, bilateral exercise.

Six members of the 713th Combat Operations Squadron were among the nearly 21,000 U.S. and 7,000 Australian military personnel who participated in this year's training exercise, the largest since the biennial series began in 2005.

Talisman Saber is a joint exercise between U.S. Pacific Command units and Australian Defense Forces designed to enhance multilateral collaboration in planning and conducting command task force operations. The training, which took place in the region of Australia and adjacent maritime areas, also involved several government agencies from the two countries and non-government agencies, such as the Red Cross and the Asia-Pacific Civil-Military Centre of Excellence.

Fictional scenarios involved more than 70 different major training events that included combined Special Forces operations, parachute drops, amphibious landings, land force maneuvers, urban and air operations, and the coordinated firing of live ammunition from a range of weapons systems.

The exercise is an opportunity to focus on bilateral collaboration in support of future combined operations, humanitarian emergencies and natural disaster response to demonstrate mutual dedication to maintaining regional security, peace and stability.

"A goal of Talisman Saber is to improve interoperability between the armed services of both countries," said Lt. Col. Brett Gennarelli, 713 COS deputy commander.

"Our squadron's mission is to provide steady state, contingency and wartime augmentation to PACAF's Air Force Forces staff through reachback capability and the ability to deploy throughout the Pacific Theater," Gennarelli said. "This exercise was excellent training for our members and a great opportunity to foster important relationships with our PACAF and ADF counterparts."

Although the unit has participated in Talisman Saber in the past, this was Senior Master Sgt. Ian Troxell and Master Sgt. Eric Nehls' first time at the exercise. Both reservists were assigned as Noncommissioned Officers in Charge of their work sections at PACAF Headquarters, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

"It was an exceptionally rewarding experience to work together as a team with people you hadn't even met before. Mission effectiveness requires this kind of cooperation and dedication," said Nehls. "I was particularly struck by the motivated young airmen doing very difficult analytical tasks. If we want to be able to operate seamlessly in a real world scenario, this type of training is vital."

Troxell was also impressed by the Total Force Integration of active duty and reserve forces, as well as the interoperability with their Australian counterparts.

"There was no lag time in the exercise, and situations had to be dealt with quickly and efficiently," Troxell said. "Regardless of what you're facing, the key is communication across organizations and cultures. I was exceptionally pleased with how well we were able to work together.'

Another benefit of the exercise, according to Troxell, was the opportunity to see an operational plan go into action.

"At the PACAF level, we have all kinds of contingency plans on the shelf for every imaginable scenario, but the plans are abstract. We don't get to see how all the aspects of a plan actually work until we put that plan into action."

Tech. Sgt. Doyle Cook was also a first-time participant in Talisman Saber. A personnel specialist with the 713 COS, Cook was assigned as the Combined Forces Air Component's Chief of Personnel Support for Contingency Operations, during the exercise. He also headed up the Joint Reception Center, handling the arrival and departure of exercise participants. Cook was responsible for accountability and strength reporting, tracking more than 500 active duty, civilian, contractor and reserve participants.

"I hadn't had much PERSCO training in this type of support capacity. We were forced to learn quickly by working through the issues that arose throughout the exercise. The PACAF staff I work with on a regular basis in our squadron's day-to-day mission were extremely helpful," Cook said. "With this experience, I feel like I can deploy anywhere and do that particular job now."

Cook was named a Talisman Saber 2013 Outstanding Performer, recognizing the technical sergeant as a top five percent performer.

"Sergeant Cook is carrying on a long tradition of excellence in this squadron. On a routine basis, ten to twenty percent of our members return from major exercises with these awards. I attribute this success to the very extensive training program in this squadron and the caliber of people it takes to do this mission," Gennarelli said.

Reservists assigned to the 713 COS are required to train in at least one major exercise each year, according to Gennarelli.

"The cultural knowledge and operational expertise that result from working a joint coalition exercise like Talisman Saber ensure our members are trained to perform their duties in providing regional and global security alongside other military services and our allies."