EGLIN RANGE, Fla. —  

Citizen Air Commandos took to the air, traversed the ground and braved rough water during a readiness exercise on the Emerald Coast Aug. 5-9, 2024.

Specialties across the 919th Special Operations Wing fought brutal summer heat, logistical challenges, and terrain across a range of scenarios they might encounter in a future fight.

“There were a lot of moving parts to this dual hat exercise and a substantial amount of planning that went in to making it happen,” said Maj. David Hornsby, 711th Special Operations Squadron chief of training. “It highlighted some areas in which the Wing did really well, and a few in which there is some room for improvement.”

Responding to scenarios that demanded an efficient and organized response for a notional country amid chaos and upheaval required exceptional planning and logistics across numerous capabilities.

These challenges allowed the wing to complete the required certification of their Special Operations Task Group and a Special Operations Task Unit in the simulated response.

The SOTG functioned as the command component of the response, tasking the SOTUs with providing specific capabilities to help mitigate the ongoing crisis. The 859th Special Operations Squadron utilized the C-146 A Wolfhound to move two Special Operations Mission Sustainment Team (SOMST) elements and their equipment between airfields.

SOMST members used the exercise to refine their skillsets, equipment, and procedures. Challenges such as heat and coordinating career specialties provided insight on how to further develop sustainment capabilities.

“It was important for us to have this integrated support team thrown into an unfamiliar environment together,” said Tech. Sgt. Michael O’Callaghan, 919th Special Operations Security Forces Squadron resource and training manager. “In a real-world scenario they would need to combine their skills in less-than-perfect conditions to accomplish the mission.”

Sustainment Airmen narrowed down their footprint by reducing the size and scope of equipment, utilizing portable items that could be hand-carried. They opted for tents, air conditioners, and other tools that are smaller than what would traditionally be used and occupied less space on the aircraft.

“We’re pressurizing the system to see where we can improve. We were able to identify needed improvements to our SOMST organization, training, and equipment that will help shape the capability moving forward,” said Col. Olivia Nelson, 919th Special Operations Mission Support Group commander.  “Perhaps most importantly, we leaned into the weather and gave our Airmen a chance to experience what deployment in the heat and humidity of the INDOPACOM theater would really be like. We identified the need for greater levels of personal fitness and an emphasis on hydration and work-rest cycles that will make us more ready if called upon to face a peer threat.”

The mission support Airmen stayed in-place overnight throughout the exercise. Controller Observers from throughout the Wing placed them in a variety of scenarios and then assessed the effectiveness of their response. Some of the situations Airmen faced included unrest outside the compound, medical emergencies, and engagements with regional media.

“The team handled everything from small inconveniences like dealing with customs to larger problems like medical crises,” said O’Callaghan. “The differing levels of difficulty and engagement challenged them and encouraged them to be mindful of how they deal with adversity.”

While the SOMST maintained their encampments, the SOTU aviators also faced challenges that could parallel real-world scenarios. A simulated aircraft down left four aircrew members stranded aboard a raft in the Choctawhatchee Bay.

A C-146A Wolfhound crew coordinated rescue of the castaways with the U.S. Coast Guard. The team surveyed the bay to provide details on the rafts location and maintained communications between the raft and the Coast Guard vessel.

By the end of the exercise, the 919th SOW successfully completed various aspects of Air Force Special Operations Command warfighting model. Organizers coordinated the SOTG, SOTU and mission support elements in a way that could be reflected in real-world scenarios.

“The amount of work and time that went into all the unseen portions of the planning of this exercise, going back months, was significant,” said Hornsby. “Everyone on the planning cell did a commendable job. The [exercise] was successful and provided an excellent bellwether as to where the wing’s combat capability currently stands. It should help to provide the command a good direction in which to move forward.”

By Staff Sgt Dylan Gentile, 919th Special Operations Wing

KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFNS) —  

South Korea’s summers are famous for cloudy skies and torrential downpours that may appear at a moment’s notice. However, during a week in mid-July, members of the Wolf Pack at Kunsan Air Base observed a spectacle precipitate from the open skies unlike the typical monsoon rains.

Spectators throughout the installation could spot paratroopers descending from the sky onto a drop zone near the base’s alternate landing area, delivered by a U.S. MC-130J Commando II and a Republic of Korea air force MC-130K Hercules flying in formation together.

The nearly three-week, multinational training called Joint Combined Exchange Training, was hosted by the Special Operations Command Korea from July 15-31.

The goal of the training was to ensure interoperability with coalition special operations forces partners in realistic training environments. To do this, mission organizers created challenging scenarios in different domains to replicate adversarial tactics in combat scenarios.

“Joint Combined Exchange Training is where USAF SOF train alongside our ROK SOF counterparts to rehearse mission essential tasks while enhancing our lethality,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Raymond Lessig, 320th Special Tactics Squadron drop zone controller and mission commander. “The training provided opportunities for U.S. and ROK SOF to work through language barriers, exchange tactics techniques and procedures, and gain a better understanding of our collective strengths and weaknesses so that we can better leverage each other’s capabilities during real-world contingency operations.”

As the only theater special operations command in which the U.S. and host-nation SOF are institutionally organized for combined operations, SOCKOR and aligned units regularly train with their counterparts in the ROK army special warfare command, air mobility and reconnaissance command, naval special warfare flotilla command, and other units.

To successfully accomplish the training, planners relied heavily on the coordination between the 8th Fighter Wing, SOCKOR, the 353rd Special Operations Wing, ROK AMRC, and the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base. Each unit played a complementary role in achieving desired training objectives. Throughout the second week, participants utilized Kunsan AB to conduct the jump training portion of the JCET.

“This is the fourth year we’ve conducted this training at Kunsan,” Lessig said. “We keep choosing to come back because of how accommodating and helpful the Wolf Pack has been. Each aspect of Kunsan from airfield management to the medical group have been ready to support our team execute this high-value training.”

The ability to accept follow-on forces is one of the key tenets of the Wolf Pack’s core mission and was on full display during the weeklong training on Kunsan AB. According to U.S. Air Force Col. Peter Kasarskis, 8th Fighter Wing commander, this is what makes Kunsan such a crucial asset in optimizing U.S. Forces Korea’s agility and ability to project airpower throughout Asia.

“Kunsan exemplifies readiness in the Indo-Pacific,” Kasarskis said. “Our Airmen here at the Wolf Pack demonstrate daily what it means to be forward-deployed and ready to fight tonight. Supporting training, like the JCET, highlights our ability to rapidly receive follow-on missions and integrate with allies and partners. Kunsan is more than just a fighter base; it’s an agile power projection platform ready for any mission.”

Lessig said Kunsan’s location also made the difference in ensuring this iteration of the training was as representative of potential real-world scenarios as possible.

“Kunsan’s location is invaluable to creating realistic training conditions,” Lessig said. “Its location, surrounding environment and mission set, forces participants to plan and rehearse airborne operations far from their desired landing area, potentially at night and in adverse weather conditions, and to safely navigate as a team with all combat equipment to their objective.”

As this portion of the JCET ends, the event showcased the military partnership between the U.S. and ROK forces, serving as a powerful reminder of their unwavering commitment to regional security. However, for some, this event was more than just a testament to their strength; it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the seamless interoperability of two of the world’s most formidable military forces.

Story by MSgt Michael Charles, 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Photos by Senior Airman James Johnson