ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Air Force, Marine and Navy units from around the Pacific theater continued to conduct integrated joint training scenarios as exercise Valiant Shield 2010 progressed to its third day here Sept. 14.
All Valiant Shield training scenarios have been designed to enhance joint-operations proficiency between all participating services and improve upon their ability to effectively respond to any threat that could arise.
Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225, currently stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, participated in the scenario.
Lt. Col. Daniel Goodwin, VMFA(AW)-225 commanding officer, said the scenario was more dynamic than others his squadron usually participates in and provided good training for all involved.
“Every time you exercise a capability, especially when you get with people you haven’t worked with before, it just expands your horizons on how to do things,” said Goodwin.
Participating units were divided into red and blue teams during the scenario in which red fighters acted out the aggressors.
The VMFA(AW)-225 Vikings were placed on the blue team. The scenario required blue team members to locate and pacify an aggressor ship in the Pacific while fending off aggressor red fighter jets.
F/A-18 Hornets, B-52 Stratofortress, KC-130 Hercules, F-15 Eagles, a P-3 Orion, and an E-3 airborne warning and control aircraft were used during the scenario.
The Vikings were required to work closely with Air Force fighter aircraft during the scenario to accomplish their mission.
Goodwin said a challenge which presented itself was both Marine and Air Force pilots were required to change the way they usually operate due to how the scenario played out.
Once all challenges were identified, he added, they were able to get everyone on the same page to accomplish a successful mission.
In working side-by-side with the Air Force fighters, Marine pilots were able to see what Air Force pilots were capable of.
“The Air Force fighter guys are phenomenal,” said Goodwin. “They are constant professionals and did a fantastic job.”
Air Force Capt. Andrew Carlson, a 67th fighter squadron pilot out of Kadena Air Base, Japan, participated in the scenario as a red enemy fighter.
“Any time that you work with a different service, there is obviously issues that you need to work out,” said Carlson. “Where you solve that is by having these type of largeforce exercises where we work together and become more familiar with each other’s tactics, abilities, and what their aircraft and pilots bring to the fight.”
Carlson’s thoughts on the Marine Corps fighter pilots echoed what Goodwin thought of the Air Force fighters.
“The Marine Corps (pilots) did a fantastic job (during the scenario),” said Carlson. “They did very well.” Exercise Valiant Shield was scheduled to run until Sept. 21.