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      U.S. Air Force F-15E strikes eagles take-off while three HH-60G Pave Hawks standby Aug. 17, 2020, at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Both airframes are participating in Gunfighter Flag 20-1, which aims to hone joint and multi-national armed forces to become more agile and lethal. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Andrew Kobialka)Joint, multinational exercise enhances capabilities against near-peer adversaries
                        
                        
                        F-15E Strike Eagles take-off while three HH-60G Pave Hawks standby Aug. 17, 2020, at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Both airframes are participating in Gunfighter Flag 20-1, which aims to hone joint and multi-national armed forces to become more agile and lethal. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Andrew Kobialka)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        An F-15E Strike Eagle from the 389th Fighter Squadron, engages the afterburners for Gunfighter Flag 20-1, Aug. 18, 2020, at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. GFF 20-1 provides units the opportunity to train with joint and international partners to complete combat and rescue exercises. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Natalie Rubenak)Joint, multinational exercise enhances capabilities against near-peer adversaries
                        
                        
                        An F-15E Strike Eagle from the 389th Fighter Squadron engages the afterburners during exercise Gunfighter Flag 20-1, Aug. 18, 2020, at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. GFF 20-1 provides units the opportunity to train with joint and international partners to complete combat and rescue exercises. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Natalie Rubenak)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Gunfighter Flag 20-1 enhances capabilities against near-peer adversariesPublished Aug. 21, 2020
                    
                    By  Airman 1st Class Andrew Kobialka
                    
                    
                    366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
            **MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho (AFNS) --**The true strength of the U.S. military lies in its joint, allied and partner capabilities. That is, the combined power and coordinated efforts between branches of the U.S. military and nations across the world. Few places provide a more realistic training ground than the high desert found at Mountain Home Air Force Base.The Mountain Home Range Complex offers 9,600 square miles of airspace to train an array of combat, rescue and support missions.Throughout the week of Aug. 17, fighter jets, helicopters, a C-130 Hercules and more came together to train in a challenging and ever-changing environment. This was an exercise known as Gunfighter Flag 20-1.This exercise leverages the unique airspace of the region to host a large scale employment of aircraft from Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Singapore and Australia, as well as the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army.“The goal was to integrate and refine our joint international partner capabilities against near-peer threat adversaries,” said Maj. Michael Lynch, 366th Fighter Wing chief of weapons and tactics and the exercise director.They have achieved this by flying up to 40 aircraft simultaneously in the same airspace and completing hundreds of missions in a span of a week.Some of the participants included are the 55th Rescue Squadron, 389th Fighter Squadron, 391st Fighter Squadron, 62nd Fighter Squadron, 428th Fighter Squadron, 266th Range Squadron and 213th Strike Fighter Squadron.Planning and executing such complex training could be challenging without a considerable amount of coordination. Tech. Sgt. Kimberly Miller, 366th Fighter Wing noncommissioned officer in charge of plans and receptions, is responsible for that coordination. She ensures that visiting units have a streamlined funnel of information and resources to make them mission ready before they arrive.“I work with Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and other nations. Everyone comes here to train,” Miller said. “I have to know how to communicate with them all, which can be challenging. But exercises like GFF are special, not only because it is huge and diverse, but because everyone learns to speak in one voice to complete the mission.”With other military branches and countries participating in GFF, it is necessary to build a shared professional language to use as they continue to work together in the future.“We have to learn to be flexible in our communications and operations,” Lynch said. “As a wing, every unit is tested as they step outside of their usual work to support an influx of units and an increase in operational tempo around the base. This test of flexibility is directly in line with the Air Force’s focus on creating an agile and adaptable force needed for future fights.”Even as the participants learn to become one cohesive team, they are made stronger and more effective by being forced to overcome new and unknown opposition.“The range and our adversary equipment here are some of the best in the Department of Defense,” Lynch said. “The advanced threat we simulate will provide a real world test to our participants.”The 266th RANS from the Air National Guard was out all week moving threats, changing targets and conducting simulated opposition forces. This ever-changing environment means every scenario will require different solutions.“Our adversaries won’t be static and this requires us to be able to quickly shift strategies,” Lynch said. “Building this into our training now means our execution will maintain a tactical edge and increase our problem solving abilities.”Meanwhile, having a broad group of career fields and air frames working together allows the Air Force and other participants to learn each other’s capabilities and then train to leverage those abilities to increase lethality in the real-world and overall mission readiness.“Throughout this exercise I have continued to learn the extent of the combined strength of our multi-national capabilities in a joint fight,” Lynch said. “Additionally, the ability of the 366th FW team to innovate and provide solutions to problems presented during COVID-19 is what has enabled an event of this size and scope to still occur.”Regardless of world events and uncertain times, the Air Force leads the way to enhancing readiness and strengthening our alliances and partnerships.“Exercises like GFF 20-1 sharpens us into an agile and lethal force to meet current and future threats,” Lynch said.LR 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



Gunfighter Flag 20-1 



GFF 20-1 



joint exercise 



Mountain Home AFB 



55th Rescue Squadron 



389th Fighter Squadron 



391st Fighter Squadron 



62nd Fighter Squadron 



428th Fighter Squadron 



266th Range Squadron 



213th Strike Fighter Squadron 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