Red Flag building strong international relationships on JBER

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Red Flag 22-3 kicked off at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on July 28.

The exercise session runs through August 12, and officials say it will be the most challenging Red Flag exercise of the year. This session will be focused primarily on executing escorts.

“Offensive counter air or defensive counter air, practicing how to protect our strike or our airlift assets to get them into a hostile contestant environment,” said Bryce Woollett, an exchange pilot with the Royal Australian Air Force at JBER.

A unique opportunity for this round of Red Flag is that force members will have the opportunity to work alongside the Royal Australian Air Force. Military personnel will get a chance to practice tactics against a pacing threat, using fourth and fifth-generation aircraft. The cross-cultural exercise opportunity to work with them is priceless, according to an official.

“A great opportunity to actually get Australian squadrons in Alaska to fly directly with our U.S. counterparts against a threat realistic mission set,” Woollett said.

As an exchange pilot, this is something Woollett has already gotten the chance to experience — giving them an opportunity to fly different types of aircraft than they would usually pilot in Australia.

“It’s pretty much a different world honestly. Coming from a fourth gen, an older generation of aircraft,” Wollett said. “I love it but it had lower performance a lot of senses weren’t as capable.”

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