From: Incoming news <paperboy@afnews.pa.af.mil>
Subject: Air Combat Command News 08/05/92 (fwd)
Organization: NCR Corporation - Law Department
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 20:38:16 GMT


From Incoming news <paperboy@afnews.pa.af.mil>


From Incoming news <paperboy@afnews.pa.af.mil>


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  <<>>   Hq. Air Combat Command                                          <<>>
  <<>>        Public Affairs                     August 1992             <<>>
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* BANKED PILOTS GAIN EXPERIENCE IN BLUE FLAG
* BLUE FLAG ACHIEVES SERIES OF FIRSTS

======================================================

ACC 92-032
BANKED PILOTS GAIN EXPERIENCE IN BLUE FLAG
    EGLIN AFB, Fla. (ACCNS) -- Most everyone has heard the old
saying, "You can take that to the bank," meaning you have
something you can depend on. 
    That's how the Air Force views banked pilots.  Banked pilots
are undergraduate pilot training graduates temporarily assigned
to support duties as they wait for cockpits to open.  Most will
wait two to three years before getting to fly, according to Maj.
Stoney Jackson, Blue Flag Concepts and Requirements Division.
    Jackson researched the banked pilot program and put together
a program to sharpen the banked pilot's skills while providing a
service to Blue Flag.  His program got its first test in a
recent Blue Flag exercise at Hurlburt Field.
    Blue Flags are computer-assisted, command and control
wargame exercises conducted by the 41st Training Group.  While
Red Flag, Green Flag and Maple Flag concentrate on training
aircrews, Blue Flag trains the commanders and staffs who lead
soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen into war.
    While banked pilots may be years away from holding such
positions, they received many benefits from participating in the
exercise. 
    "Normally, mid-level aviators attend Blue Flags, so the
banked pilot is actually getting a peek at what he will be
exposed to later on when he returns to flying duties," said
Jackson.  "Programs such as this allow these young pilots to
build up their Air Force aviation experience base even though
they are not actually flying," he said.
    Each Blue Flag includes a three-and-a-half day
computer-driven exercise in which Blue Flag people serve as the
opposing force.  The banked pilots were assigned to this role
for the exercise.
    Like the exercise participants, the banked pilots attended
the in-briefing, seminars and positional training for the
exercise.  
    "During the initial stages of the exercise the banked pilots
acquainted themselves with the operations and intelligence
components of the air operations center," said Jackson.       
    Eventually, the pilots began working with the computer
workstations that graphically depict air battles and soon were
actually controlling opposition air forces under the chief of
Blue Flag opposition forces, said Jackson.
    A symbiotic relationship formed between the Blue Flag people
and banked pilots.  The pilots alleviated manning shortages and
received early exposure to command and control, and contingency
procedures.
    Supervisors were the key to the initial success of the
program, according to Jackson.  "Their supervisors made sure
they had time off from their regular duties to participate in
this exercise because they recognized the value this program
offered," he said.
    This Blue Flag exercise focused on the combat air operations
of 5th Air Force and the Japanese Air Self Defense Force.  The
objective was to train the combined air operations coordination
center for the two bilateral commands in a free-play exercise,
according to Capt. Betty Guillot, 41st TG executive officer.
    The Japanese scenario is one of five geographic regions
exercised in Blue Flag.  The other regions are Europe, Korea,
South America and Southwest Asia.
    There is room for more banked pilots in the program.  The
next exercise is Sept. 16-23.  If a full week of participation
isn't possible, arrangements can be made for limited
attendance.  Pilots should contact Jackson at DSN 579-5291.
                              -30-




ACC 92-033
BLUE FLAG ACHIEVES SERIES OF FIRSTS
By Capt. Chuck Wynne
U.S. Air Warfare Center Public Affairs
    EGLIN AFB, Fla. (ACCNS) -- The latest Blue Flag exercise
stretched the boundaries of previous command and control
exercises as almost 600 participants worked to achieve three
firsts.
    The exercise focused on the combat air operations of 5th Air
Force and the Japanese Air Self Defense Force, according to
Capt. Betty Guillot, 41st Training Group (Blue Flag) executive
officer.
    The objective was to exercise the combined air operations
coordination center for the two bilateral commands in a
free-play exercise.
    But it wasn't the scenario nor the objective which made this
exercise different from previous Blue Flags.  It was three
historical firsts which set it apart from others.
    The first achievement centered on the participation of 36
Japanese Air Force and Army officers.  The officers actively
took part in the exercise with more than 550 U.S. Army, Air
Force and Navy people from the Japanese theater.
    "In the past, the Japanese have participated in an advisory
capacity only.  In this exercise they actually received battle
staff training and participated in every facet of the exercise,"
said Guillot.
    The second historical event involved a deployed tanker
airlift control center.  Daily operations within the DTACC
involve planning and executing airlift missions.  Since the
DTACC is the command and control agent for theater operations in
Air Mobility Command, and Blue Flag's mission is to conduct Air
Force and joint service command, control, communications and
intelligence training, it made sense to exercise the DTACC for
the Japanese-Pacific Rim theater, said Guillot.  
    The final first involved a B-52 bomber wing in a Blue Flag
exercise.  The 5th Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., has the distinction
of being the first former Strategic Air Command and first Air
Combat Command wing to participate in a Blue Flag exercise.
Prior to the formation of ACC June 1, tactical, not strategic,
forces were exercised, said the captain.
    About 30 Minot people were trained using distributed war
gaming.  The distributed war gaming system enables Blue Flag
people at Hurlburt Field, Fla., to "distribute" the game to five
different locations using secure data terminals, telephones and
video teleconferencing equipment.
 
 
    In this exercise, the system helped people at Minot train on
the Combat Automated Force Management System, build mission
planning packages and interface the Minot mission with theater
operations and plans. 
    The Japanese scenario involves one of five geographic
regions exercised by Blue Flag.  The other regions are Europe,
Korea, South America and Southwest Asia.
                              -30-
 

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