Resolute Warrior 08-01: Three units prepare for exercise deployment

Published Oct. 16, 2007
By Brandice J. Armstrong
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Tinker warriors will bring the warfront home for a two-phase operational readiness exercise, Resolute Warrior 08-01, later this month. During the 10-day exercise, Airmen will prepare for deployment and defend a fictitious installation against Middle Eastern aggressors.
   Three units -- the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, 552nd Air Control Wing and 3rd Combat Communications Group -- will set up camp at Glenwood Training Area and the south aircraft parking ramp. Representing the fictitious 627th Air Expeditionary Wing, they will set out to complete an overarching mission of employing the unit's resources in a simulated combat environment.
   "We want to provide our folks with the most realistic training environment possible and give them an opportunity to work through the confusion and difficulties inherent in the fog of war," said Paul Logan, 72nd ABW Inspections and Evaluations exercise designer. "We hope to gain increased interoperability among the participating units as well as give new commanders an honest assessment of their unit's current capabilities and state of readiness."
   To accomplish the mission, some 500 participating Airmen will execute six distinctive mission sets. They include: the command element; aircraft logistics and maintenance; operational command and control of tactical battle space -- the flying mission; communication and computer support; mission support and critical medical care.
   "(This exercise) offers a venue to conduct training, re-enforce training, practice new concepts, as well as ensure compliance with operational readiness inspection criteria," said Col. Joe Rossacci, 552nd ACW vice wing commander and 627th AEW commander during the exercise. "However, the most important aspect is it allows us to practice our wartime operations to fly, fight and win America's wars."
   Lt. Col. Kyle Ingham, 72nd Mission Support Group deputy commander and Survival Recovery Center director for the exercise, agreed.
   "It's an opportunity for three different organizations that belong to different major commands to come together and actually operate as a team," Colonel Ingham said. "This is preparation for the real fight."
   Maj. Terrence Adams, 33rd Combat Communications Squadron commander and 627th Expeditionary Communi-cations Squadron commander for the exercise, will oversee the communications infrastructure. He said the exercise will be quite realistic.
   With approximately 60 Airmen from the 3rd Combat Communications Group, they will set up the fictitious Base X as a bare base scenario, before the rest of the group arrives.
   "We'll get there, secure the site, make sure there's no enemy in that area and we'll sweep the site before we put our stuff down and then we'll take the site, at that point," Major Adams said.
   The major said although he knows the basic gist of his operation, he doesn't know the specifics of the situation and said the exercise will be challenging.
   "(We're) practicing for a worst-case scenario," Major Adams said. "Maybe a worst-case scenario is we have 72 hours to pack-up an aircraft and be gone. It's a whole bunch of unknowns to be able to do anything. That's why we're anytime, anywhere." Colonel Rossacci said, "The 627th, AEW mission won't be easy and Airmen will have some difficult days ahead of them.
   "They need to keep an eye out for one another, pay close attention to detail, maintain standards and do it in such a way that you and your fellow Airmen will be proud."