ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Multiple Air Force, Marine and Navy units from around the Pacific theater brought exercise Valiant Shield 2010 to a close here Sept. 21.
Valiant Shield was a 10-day integrated joint military exercise among U.S. military forces, which focused on testing and improving their ability to effectively respond to any regional contingency.
A total of more than 150 aircraft participated in the exercise along with a naval strike group and amphibious ready group. Air Force Col. Alan Kollien, 613th Air and Space Operation Center vice commander here, said he believed the exercise went very well and all of their objectives were met.
Exercise Valiant Shield took place in the Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Guam and exercised maritime interdiction, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, personnel recovery, and command and control skills.
The units from the different services involved worked together as they conducted the numerous sorties and training scenarios aimed at improving their integrated joint military capabilities.
Lessons were learned along the way as each sortie and scenario took place during Valiant Shield.
One of the major lessons learned is that joint integrated exercises are needed so that all the participating services fully understand the limits and advantages to how each service operates, Kollien said.
Iwakuni-based Marines who participated in the exercise include service members from Marine Aircraft Group 12, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 and Marine Wing Support Squadron 171.
Okinawa-based Marines who also participated in the exercise include service members from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 and Marine Air Control Squadron 4.
Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225, or the Vikings, out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., were the main squadron from the Marine Corps side participating in Valiant Shield.
The Vikings are slated to land in Iwakuni as part of the Unit Deployment Program after the exercise. Lt. Col. Daniel Goodwin, VMFA(AW)-225 commanding officer, said he thought the exercise went great and provided a wonderful opportunity for the services to share their various skills and capabilities.
All the scenarios VMFA(AW)-225 participated in involved their being out in the ocean and each one presented them with new lessons to take with them.
“The tactical lessons were good,” said Goodwin. “The aircrew got to see what it’s like to fly five-hour missions, tank three or four times and fight against a very robust threat. We learned how to attack ships out in the open ocean, which Marines don’t normally do.”
Naval squadrons, who fall under the command of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10, also participated in Valiant Shield.
“All of our objectives were in fact accomplished and proved that we need to continue to do more of this type of training,” said Navy Capt. Garner Morgan, CPRW-10 commander.
Everything done during Valiant Shield was a team effort, he added.
During Valiant Shield, aside from building on joint operability, the CPRW- 10 squadrons were able to receive valuable training in anti-submarine warfare in quick succession where each scenario built on the last.
Morgan said the main lesson learned as the exercise progressed, was the necessity to do more exercises like Valiant Shield. “We started out doing OK but not doing as well as we needed to do,” said Morgan. “As we progressed through the exercise, it became apparent that we were getting a lot better. From my perspective the major lesson learned is that this is valuable training that we need to continue.”
This is the third year Valiant Shield was conducted by the U.S. military. The first was conducted in June 2006.