Articles

Stronger Together: Multinational contingency training connects engineers

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Corey Kraus
  • 554th RED HORSE Squadron
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam --  The Pacific region is among the most dynamic areas on the globe. To better prepare for future challenges in this ever-changing operational environment, enhanced cooperation with regional partners is a regular part of U.S. Air Force initiatives and is supported by a range of exercises and training undertaken with partner nation forces.
These activities build a shared capacity that serves mutual security interests and develops partner military capabilities for self-defense and support to multinational operations.
The 554th RED HORSE Squadron hosted a training exchange at the Pacific Air Forces’ Regional Training Center between Feb. 8-15, at Northwest Field on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.
This training included members from the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and Philippine Air Force. Thirty-two Airmen worked as one cohesive team to learn and practice airfield recovery after-attack operations. The 554th RED HORSE Squadron Silver Flag flight enabled training focused on airfield damage repair, which included support functions such as command and control, airfield damage assessment, explosive ordnance disposal and others. Throughout the eight-day training event, the partner nations’ forces and 554th RHS Airmen identified distinct differences and commonalities in respective tactics, techniques and procedures.
Singapore Air Force ME6 (O-5 equivalent) Jerediah Ong, command and control team lead and deployed forces commander, expressed great appreciation for the partnership building opportunity. Ong said he admired the adaptability and flexibility of the force to integrate as one team to complete all training objectives.
“This experience has a shared benefit for all participants as it serves to increase interoperability across the Asia-Pacific theater,” Ong said.
As the Philippine and South China Sea theater continues to develop into a more complex, diverse region of the world with ever-emerging threats, the relationships established between nations will continue to be one of the core foundations for projecting peace throughout the Pacific, said Senior Master Sgt. Michael English, Silver Flag flight superintendent.
“These classes are fundamental to the advancement of theater security cooperation among our Pacific Partners,“ English said. “It is imperative that we continue working with these partner nations to ensure that when the time comes for us to unite, our team will be strong and all parties involved are able to operate on the same wavelength to combat any threat within the theater.”