ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The Air Force Reserve has transformed from a force optimized for operational efficiency in a permissive environment to a modernized and effective force organized, trained and equipped to deter conflict and prevail against any adversary.
We must prioritize limited resources to ensure they are aligned to support combatant commands in the face of an ever-changing global environment. Potential conflict in the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) area of responsibility demands we train to conduct integrated, decisive and dynamic air operations in a peer-contested environment at speed and over vast distances.
Our responsibility is to properly train and equip our Reservists to make informed, real-time decisions within the commander’s intent, even with incomplete information. To prepare we must maximize training opportunities by expanding participation in existing exercises or creating new events when needed.
Recent exercises such as Steel Knight and Nexus Forge are examples of what the Reserve can do to train and certify for multi-domain, combined air, ground, space, cyber and electronic threat environments.
During Exercise Steel Knight in December, 119 Reservists and multiple fixed and rotary wing aircraft from three wings participated in a three-phased, combined arms operation in a simulated conflict against China. Participants exercised with the U.S. Navy and Marine forces along with allies and partners from the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, Mexico and Peru.
We employed new methods to generate more efficient, integrated deployable units of action where Airmen train and exercise together before being deployed as a team. The exercise began with initial deployments to contingency locations in Arizona and California with follow-on combat operations at Darwin, Australia. Alongside our joint and international partners, Reservists practiced evolving tactics, techniques and procedures to prevail across a wide range of missions – dynamic rescue, expeditionary medical procedures, search and rescue, targeting and theater ingress within an Expeditionary Advanced Basing Operation.
In February, 4th Air Force led Exercise Nexus Forge – a multi-theater, multi-domain and multi-national exercise to certify the first of our Reserve Expeditionary Air Base wings for deployment. Exercise operations commenced from dispersed locations in Hawaii and Guam.
Representing each numbered Air Force, 10 Reserve wings contributed force elements to include airlift and tanker support. In all, more than 850 participants, including U.S. Soldiers and Marines as well as 10 Reserve mobility aircraft, completed this Reserve-led certification event, demonstrating joint and international capabilities and interoperability.
Our adversaries have the capability to interfere across diplomatic, information, military and economic arenas. Exercises are just one part of a strategy to project power as a means of deterrence. They will help us sustain a successful battle rhythm in a dynamic environment that overcomes the tyranny of distance.
The Air Force Reserve is changing how we train for combat to maintain agility in our force. Our airbases, at home and abroad, are no longer sanctuaries from attack. We must shift our thinking from static airbases operations to a network of lightweight, forward operating teams. There will be new demands, challenges and uncertainty as we adapt our force.
Chief Master Sgt. Nuñez had the opportunity to personally experience the demands and challenges our Airmen will face in a potential future conflict during his recent participation in a USINDOPACOM exercise.
His experience speaks to the need for change.
“I recently deployed to the Pacific for a ground-breaking exercise that was unlike anything I have experienced in my over two decades of service,” he said. “I thought I had a solid grasp of the challenges posed by a potential conflict in the INDOPACOM theater. However, this exercise taught me that there is a vast difference between understanding the challenge and experiencing it.
“The exercise threw us into the midst of a simulated conflict, where we had to contend with the harsh realities of the Pacific theater. Our team spent countless hours conquering the tyranny of distance, crossed the international dateline, and arrived at our forward location disoriented and on little to no rest. Upon arrival, we faced the daunting task of establishing a spoke operation, all while navigating simulated attacks. The challenges we encountered were far more complex and unforgiving than anything I had previously rehearsed.
“Gone were the days of hiding under desks in chemical gear during Alarm Red drills. Instead, we had to respond to simulated hypersonic missile attacks by sprinting as fast and as far as possible, seeking cover in tropical bushes, where temperatures soared above 90 degrees and humidity reached 100%. The presence of large spiders and other creatures, while awaiting an imminent catastrophe, added to the sense of unease, making it clear that this was not a routine exercise.
“Amidst the degraded conditions and threat of further attacks, with less than 15 minutes' notice, our team was directed to disperse from our established location, and boarded engines running aircraft, ready to quickly re-establish a new spoke operation at an undisclosed forward location. Two decades from now, there will be Airmen who look back on these exercises as the norm. We are designing the future operating environment.
“My recent exercise experience provided a sobering reminder that the challenges of strategic competition are not just theoretical, but real and pressing. These events highlight the importance of taking risk, critical thinking and innovation. Taking risk does not mean you should abandon your training and discipline. It is about having a clear understanding of your mission, the orders that you are operating under, and making timely decisions when lives and equipment are at stake. Your ability to think critically and solve problems is how we defeat our adversaries if deterrence fails.”
We need you, our Reserve Airmen, to be ready for the unknown. We are counting on you to carry on the proud tradition of our all-volunteer force and defend our nation’s freedom!