B-2 aircrews complete Polar Lightning exercise

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Four B-2 Spirit pilots assigned to the 13th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron completed a 24-hour training mission after flying a 10,000-mile roundtrip flight to Alaska as part of the Continuous Bomber Presence here. 

The exercise, Polar Lightning, supports Pacific Command and Pacific Air Forces Command theater objectives. 

"We provide a presence in the theater for deterrence," said Maj. Todd A. Moenster, 13th EBS B-2 Spirit instructor pilot and Mission Planning Cell executive officer. "We then, in this specific mission, showed the global reach nature of the B-2 in the fact that we can deploy from anywhere in the world and hold any target at risk." 

The exercise was twofold for the pilots participating in the training mission: refine tactics and procedures between B-2s and F-22 Raptors as well as give pilots the training of a long-range flight. 

"This is really a great exercise," Major Moenster said. "We had four different squadrons taking part in what we call a large-force exercise. The B-2s flew ... to the Alaska Range Complex where we dropped 20 [inert Joint Direct Attack Munitions]. We then took part in the large-force portion of the exercise with F-22s providing escort to the B-2s into a highly defended area by Red Air threats and by surface-to-air missiles, so the overall point of the exercise was to coordinate the B-2s and the F-22s through a low observable integration mission." 

Three units participated with the 13th EBS in Polar Lightning. The 90th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, provided the F-22 Raptors; 962nd Airborne Air Control Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, provided the E-3 Sentry as the command and control; and the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson AFB, Alaska, provided the F-16 Fighting Falcons as the Red Air threat. 

Aggressors "have the capability to simulate any Red Air threat and simulate it accurately, so they know their tactics and how they are going to execute their plan in flight, so we get an accurate reflection of what we would be fighting against," the major said.
The 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, also assigned here, assisted refueling the B-2s on the way to Alaska and back. 

The long-range portion of the exercise provides the pilots with experience and prepares them for missions, which can last up to 48 hours. This enables them to become familiar with fatigue symptoms and work their sleep cycles and manage fatigue adequately.
"In this case, it was a 24-hour mission, airborne, and the crews were up for a total of about 30 hours," Major Moenster said. "That included their pre-flight time and their post-flight time." 

Even though pilots are tasked with the mission of staying awake for long hours and being cooped in a confined space, the B-2 pilots are proud to serve and appreciate the experience. 

"The long-duration missions are obviously a challenge as far as staying in an aircraft that is designed for two people without a real bed, so it has some challenges of its own in that regard, but it's what we do, and it's good training for us," said Capt. Justin T. Grieve, 13th EBS B-2 Spirit instructor pilot. "It gives us the opportunity to stay in the aircraft for an extended amount of time, to test out all of our systems, drop weapons and integrate with other aircraft after we have been airborne for an extended amount of time, which we don't get to do on our local training sorties." 

Captain Grieve has participated in similar training missions prior to the one, which took place May 7 and 8, but had not yet experienced integrating with other airframes during a long duration mission. 

"Just getting up to Alaska to integrate with the Raptors and [Airborne Warning and Control System] was pretty exciting," he said. "You get to do some air refueling and obviously stay awake for extended amounts of time, but once we got there, everyone was there, everyone was ready to play in the exercise and the training that we gained from that was absolutely phenomenal." 

While pilots prepared for the real-world scenario training mission, there was much more to the preparation than pilots preparing several days out by adjusting their sleep schedule and preparing mentally. 

A mission planning cell was stood up for 48 hours to plan the entire mission, but prior to the MPC's activation, coordination through e-mails, video teleconferencing and phone calls over a two-week period enabled the 13th EBS and the other units participating in the exercise to plan an integrated exercise with geographically separated units
"We have a mission planning cell that does a fantastic job putting together these plans, and actually working the integration part for us," Captain Grieve said. "All we had to do was show up, fly the mission and get some good training out of it." 

On the day of the exercise, the pilots were briefed by MPC personnel and then moved on to combat step procedures before stepping onto the aircraft. 

"Maintenance did a fantastic job having the jets ready for us," the captain said. "Getting the weapons on the jet and making sure that all the systems were good to go, and from there we just get on the plane. " 

To ensure aircraft are mission ready, maintainers begin preparing the aircraft as soon as it completes its previous mission. 

"There's a lot of preparation that goes into each individual sortie for all the training missions and even real world bombing missions that the aircrews go on," said Capt. Sean A. O'Donnell, 509th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit officer in charge. "Our maintainers will get out there and refuel the aircraft, reload the aircraft, fix anything that impacts the next mission and repair any low observable materials on the aircraft if they can. You name it; we'll get that jet ready to fly." 

Preparation of an aircraft for the next mission can take anywhere from four to 12-plus hours of work by a team of four to an entire team involving munitions Airmen who deliver the bombs and weapons loaders who load them. 

The maintenance required on bombers for each individual sortie is dependent on how the aircraft lands from its previous sortie. 

"It's the young Airmen out here that are doing the mission day in and day out who are really making this entire CBP work, " Captain O'Donnell said. "It's the guys out there in the heat, in the sun, turning the aircraft, busting their butts to get the planes ready for the pilots to fly their sorties. 

"Really everything is on their shoulders, and they have done an absolutely fantastic job out here," he said. "We've been flying a lot. It really has been awesome to be a part of the team, and work with them to make this mission happen." 

The teamwork between the MPC, geographically separated units, the aircraft maintenance unit and the many Airmen who assisted in this exercise enabled the mission to be completed on time and problem free. 

"The mission was a success," Major Moenster said. "We got the support that we needed from the F-22s, and we were able to refine our tactics, so that when we do this the next time, we'll be even better." 

The 13th EBS is a deployed unit from Whiteman AFB, Mo. As a deployed unit here, the bombers are part of the Continuous Bomber Presence. 

"Supporting the CBP mission just shows our continuing dedication to the region," said Major Moenster. "It is important our crews to get that training on a consistent basis, and it's also important in this specific instance that we work with our F-22 brethren in refining those stealth tactics and perfecting our execution, so that should there come a time that we need to work together in combat, we are familiar with one another's tactics enough to create an executable plan and a successful plan." 

The major has been deployed and supported the CBP mission since before it was named. 

"The Air Force is committed to this mission and to this theater, and coming here several times, I've become familiar with the objectives and am fully on board..."