Combined exercise prepares Airmen for battle

Published March 16, 2007
By Staff Sgt. Mareshah Haynes
1st SOW Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Airmen from Hurlburt Field, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves participated in a communications exercise at Duke Field March 8.

Operation Combined Eagle was a total force communications exercise intended to get all stateside Air Force Special Operations Command communications squadrons to work together on one mission.

This was the first exercise of its kind.

Airmen from the 1st Special Operations Communications Squadron, 919th Communications Squadron and the 280th Combat Communications Squadron worked side by side during the three-day simulated deployment.

"We're excited to be here," said Senior Master Sgt. Ron Whitehurst, 280th CBCS. "We backfill for the 1st SOCS and 919th CS, so this will make it better for the guys on the frontline if we're all on the same page."

Besides ensuring interoperability among Air Force components, the exercise also provided field training to make sure Airmen stay proficient in their skills.

"This is the first time for a lot of these Airmen to get training outside of the classroom," Master Sgt. Delores Klausitis, 919th CS said. "We may have to augment one of these other units one day, so if we can learn the way they do business it will only make us better."

While there are no plans, as of yet, to conduct another exercise of this scope, some think opportunities like this will be more frequent in the future.

"There aren't plans yet to conduct another exercise, but I stress yet," said 2nd Lt. Thomas Raia, AFSOC. "I'm certain that as soon as the successes of this exercise get a chance to rise up to the command's level, initiatives will start to plan for another."

The exercise provided AFSOC communications Airmen with skills they can use at their work centers and in a deployed environment.

"One of the things I've learned is that when participating in an exercise like this, everyone has to pull their weight or the entire mission will fail," Lieutenant Raia said. "The phrase 'that's not my job' is not one you're likely to hear out there with these folks."