Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      An F-15C Eagle from the 67th Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, takes off during exercise Northern Edge from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 16, 2015. Northern Edge 2015 is Alaska’s premier joint training exercise designed to practice operations, techniques and procedures as well as enhance interoperability among the services. Thousands of participants from all the services and components were involved. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. William Banton)Northern Edge 2015 fills the skies
                        
                        
                        An F-15C Eagle from the 67th Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, takes off during exercise Northern Edge from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 16, 2015. Northern Edge 2015 is Alaska’s premier joint training exercise designed to practice operations, techniques and procedures as well as enhance interoperability among the services. Thousands of participants from all the services and components were involved. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. William Banton)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        An F-15C Eagle from the 67th Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, takes off during exercise Northern Edge from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 16, 2015. Northern Edge 2015 is Alaska’s premier joint training exercise designed to practice operations, techniques and procedures as well as enhance interoperability among the services. Thousands of participants from all the services and components were involved. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. William Banton)Northern Edge 2015 fills the skies
                        
                        
                        An F-15C Eagle from the 67th Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, takes off during exercise Northern Edge from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 16, 2015. Northern Edge 2015 is Alaska’s premier joint training exercise designed to practice operations, techniques and procedures as well as enhance interoperability among the services. Thousands of participants from all the services and components were involved. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. William Banton)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Northern Edge 2015 fills the skiesPublished June 18, 2015
                    
                    By Staff Sgt. William Banton
                    
                    
                    Northern Edge 15 Joint Information Bureau Public Affairs
            **JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AFNS) --**Approximately 200 military aircraft filled the skies above Alaska June 15, signifying the start of the joint training exercise, Northern Edge 2015.
Hosted by Alaskan Command, Northern Edge brings together approximately 6,000 U.S. military service members in a joint-forces environment to train for crises response in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
"Northern Edge is the premier combat exercise for joint forces ... anywhere in the world," said Col. Charles Corcoran, the 3rd Wing commander and Air Expeditionary Wing commander for Northern Edge 2015. "The objective is to make sure our air combat forces are ready as a joint team and to be able to execute real-world operations anywhere in the Pacific."
The exercise is designed to sharpen tactical combat skills; improve command, control and communication relationships; and to develop interoperable plans and programs across the joint force.
"It's really important to train like we are going to fight," said Lt. Col. Tim Bobinski, the Northern Edge control group lead. "As most people know, anytime we go to war it's not going to be just the Air Force, Navy, Army or Marines, we are going to need to work together as a team."
Exercises like Northern Edge provide opportunities for the U.S. military to take advantage of a unique joint training environment so the military is prepared to respond to real-world situations, Bobinski said.
"If we go into combat we are going to go as a joint team, so we need to be able to practice and exercise as a joint team." Corcoran said. "There are nuances that you just don't get to see when you are doing stand-alone service training. It really prepares us for anything that could happen."
Major participating units this year include U.S. Pacific Command, Alaskan Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pacific Air Forces, Marine Corps Forces Pacific, U.S. Army Pacific, Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Materiel Command, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command and U.S. Naval Reserve.
Planning an exercise with such a broad joint interoperability has its challenges, Bobinski said.
"Each service has their own way of doing business and they do it very well when they're in their own service channels," he said. "Once they start trying to work together there is sometimes different (terms) being spoken that has to be overcome and different processes that are being used, which we have to come together and determine how we are going to execute them."
Another reason this exercise is special is because of the location, Corcoran said.
"Alaska has some unique capabilities that you just can't find anywhere else," he said. "Because we value this place so much we are going to leave it better than we found it. Everyone who deploys here understands what a unique and rare opportunity this is and wants to be able to come back and continue to practice these skills."
Overall, Northern Edge aims to prepare the nations joint-forces in training environment.exercise 



Northern Edge 



Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson 



Alaska 



PACAF 



Alaskan Command 



F-15 Eagle 



F-15 



joint Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil