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        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      U.S. Air Force Maj. Mike Rogers, 555th Fighter Squadron pilot, refuels an F-16 Fighting Falcon during an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Amendola Air Base, Italy, Feb. 16, 2021. The exercise was designed to provide aircrew and support personnel the experience needed to maintain a ready force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ericka A. Woolever)31st FW accomplishes ACE with ITAF
                        
                        
                        Maj. Mike Rogers, 555th Fighter Squadron pilot, refuels an F-16 Fighting Falcon during an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Amendola Air Base, Italy, Feb. 16, 2021. The exercise was designed to provide aircrew and support personnel the experience needed to maintain a ready force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ericka A. Woolever)
                
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        A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 555th Fighter Squadron lands during an Agile Combat Employment (ACE) exercise at Amendola Air Base, Italy, Feb. 17, 2021. ACE exercises ensure Airmen and aircrews are postured to provide lethal combat power across the spectrum of military operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ericka A. Woolever)31st FW accomplishes ACE with ITAF
                        
                        
                        An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 555th Fighter Squadron lands during an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Amendola Air Base, Italy, Feb. 17, 2021. ACE exercises ensure Airmen and aircrews are postured to provide lethal combat power across the spectrum of military operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ericka A. Woolever)
                
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31st FW, Italian air force complete Agile Combat Employment exercisePublished Feb. 22, 2021
                    
                    By Senior Airman Ericka A. Woolever
                    
                    
                    31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
            **AMENDOLA AIR BASE, Italy (AFNS) --**U.S. Air Force **F-16 Fighting Falcons** and Airmen assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing participated in an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Amendola Air Base, Italy, Feb. 16-17.
The 555th and 510th Fighter Squadrons executed counter air training with the Italian air force 32 Stormo, Rome Air Squad Command. The 32 Stormo is the first European unit to acquire F-35A aircraft. 
During the exercise, eight F-16s from the 31st FW, two U.S. Air Force **KC-135 Stratotankers** from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, **RAF Mildenhall**, United Kingdom, six Italian air force **F-35A Lightning IIs**, and six Italian Air Force Eurofighters trained together. 
“European partners form the backbone of (**U.S. Air Forces in Europe**’s) Agile Combat Employment exercise,” said Maj. Eric Broyles, 31st Operations Group international coordination director and F-16 evaluator pilot. “Mission success is reliant not only on our partner’s infrastructure, but strengthening our vision, tactical integration, and building relationships which are cultivated in exercises such as these.” 
By integrating multiple aircraft, aircrews were able to train for different objectives, which is critical to ensuring the collective defense of the NATO alliance.
ACE exercises such as these provide the opportunity for the 31st FW to become more agile in their execution, more strategic in their deterrence, and more resilient in their capabilities. It also ensured U.S Air Forces in Europe were ready for potential contingencies by allowing forces to operate from locations with varying levels of capacity and support.
Training with joint and combined allies and partners during ACE events increased the 31st FW lethality and enhanced interoperability, while allowing the forces to counter military aggression and coercion by sharing responsibilities for common defense. 
Exercising elements of ACE also ensured Airmen and aircrews from the 31st FW were ready to provide lethal combat power. 
“ACE has the opportunity to make us better maintainers because during ACE exercises we are limited on what tools and equipment we have available on location,” said Master Sgt. Tom Larson, 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 555th Aircraft Maintenance Unit production superintendent. “This event gave Airmen the opportunity to think outside the box and find innovative ways to get the job done.”LR 



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