505th CCW Airmen bring forces together in Virtual Flag Published Feb. 23, 2009 By Maj. Brian Grill 705th Combat Training Squadron KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, NM -- Last week more than 200 people from dozens of units were operating more than 15 types of aircraft for an exercise. If you didn't notice extra people or extra noise, don't be surprised. Through the Distributed Mission Operations Center, or DMOC, here at Kirtland, all the disparate elements that comprised the exercise known as Virtual Flag 09-2 came together to provide invaluable training. Yet they joined in the virtual environment, with many of the participants never leaving home station. The DMOC is operated by the 705th Combat Training Squadron here, and falls under the 505th Command and Control Wing, headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The DMOC develops, integrates and delivers a virtual air, space and cyber warfare environment for service, joint and coalition combat war fighters. The virtual environment allows geographically separated units to train together for contingency operations or combat without leaving homebases, while simultaneously integrating multiple high-end training events. Last week members of the DMOC executed their mission in Virtual Flag 09-2. The focus areas for this exercise included training for the Joint Forces Air Component Commander in an Air and Space Operations Center all the way to the Joint Tactical Air Controller on the ground (JFACC-to-JTAC training), cross-domain integration, and total force integration, said Maj. Bill McTernan, 705th CTS exercise director. "Virtual Flag 09-2 provided tactical fighter units, command and control units, even Navy, Army and Marine units the opportunity to train the way they fight," Major McTernan said. "We had more than 200 people from across the country and around the world participating. In the real world, we work together, so it just makes sense for Soldiers and Seamen to be training alongside us in Virtual Flag." Since inception in 2003, Virtual Flag exercises have provided an arena to test, practice and evaluate command and control. Command and control, or C2, is the discipline that brings all other military actions together, Major McTernan said. "C2 is the direction and leadership commanders give to their forces in the field. At Virtual Flag, we're practicing every element of the profession of arms, and bringing them together through C2." During the five-day exercise participants were tested in a variety of realistic and challenging scenarios developed by the DMOC. Virtual Flag 09-2 presented a dynamic training arena on the leading edge of technology, said Lt. Col Troy Molendyke, 705th commander. "We offer the war fighter a one-of-a-kind training opportunity to train for the fight with those they join in combat," said Colonel Molendyke, who is also host of the exercise. "In addition to executing operations together, participants planned, briefed and debriefed together via video teleconference, voice over Internet protocol, file-sharing and shared playback software. This approach allows war fighters to develop war-time expectations in training before deploying to a specific area of responsibility." Although tenets behind Virtual Flag exercises span more than 25 years, the mission and execution has changed dramatically, said Major McTernan. "We're constantly evolving to meet the needs of the war fighter, adding elements, changing threats - anything that our forces or allies may face, we want to address," he said. Virtual Flag exercises are typically held four times per year. Virtual Flag 09-2 featured several new elements, Major McTernan said. "This is the first time we've had the Joint Command and Control Net Enabled Weapon certification event," he said. "It's testing real-time targeting, engagement and assessment portions of the kill chain, and what we find out here will shape future joint tactics, techniques and procedures." Additionally, F-22 simulator integration and the first Control and Reporting Center participation from home station were featured events. Another first in Virtual Flag 09-2 was the integration of the Distributed Common Ground Station. The DCGS conducts real-time imagery exploitation, annotation and dissemination of intelligence data and provides live threat warning and real-time battle damage assessment to exercise participants. "Having the DCGS here gives Combined Air and Space Operations Center staff more realistic training while also giving the DCGS folks the opportunity to train in conventional force-on-force scenarios," said 705th CTS Intelligence Flight Commander Capt Joe Delostrinos. Expanding training opportunities across the joint spectrum continues to be a Virtual Flag hallmark, said Colonel Molendyke, a hallmark that will continue with successive Virtual Flags. "The participants may change, the equipment may change, and the technology may change," said Colonel Molendyke. "One thing always stays the same - we enable warriors to sharpen their combat skills in a fast-paced, joint training environment."
505th CCW Airmen bring forces together in Virtual Flag Published Feb. 23, 2009 By Maj. Brian Grill 705th Combat Training Squadron KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, NM -- Last week more than 200 people from dozens of units were operating more than 15 types of aircraft for an exercise. If you didn't notice extra people or extra noise, don't be surprised. Through the Distributed Mission Operations Center, or DMOC, here at Kirtland, all the disparate elements that comprised the exercise known as Virtual Flag 09-2 came together to provide invaluable training. Yet they joined in the virtual environment, with many of the participants never leaving home station. The DMOC is operated by the 705th Combat Training Squadron here, and falls under the 505th Command and Control Wing, headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The DMOC develops, integrates and delivers a virtual air, space and cyber warfare environment for service, joint and coalition combat war fighters. The virtual environment allows geographically separated units to train together for contingency operations or combat without leaving homebases, while simultaneously integrating multiple high-end training events. Last week members of the DMOC executed their mission in Virtual Flag 09-2. The focus areas for this exercise included training for the Joint Forces Air Component Commander in an Air and Space Operations Center all the way to the Joint Tactical Air Controller on the ground (JFACC-to-JTAC training), cross-domain integration, and total force integration, said Maj. Bill McTernan, 705th CTS exercise director. "Virtual Flag 09-2 provided tactical fighter units, command and control units, even Navy, Army and Marine units the opportunity to train the way they fight," Major McTernan said. "We had more than 200 people from across the country and around the world participating. In the real world, we work together, so it just makes sense for Soldiers and Seamen to be training alongside us in Virtual Flag." Since inception in 2003, Virtual Flag exercises have provided an arena to test, practice and evaluate command and control. Command and control, or C2, is the discipline that brings all other military actions together, Major McTernan said. "C2 is the direction and leadership commanders give to their forces in the field. At Virtual Flag, we're practicing every element of the profession of arms, and bringing them together through C2." During the five-day exercise participants were tested in a variety of realistic and challenging scenarios developed by the DMOC. Virtual Flag 09-2 presented a dynamic training arena on the leading edge of technology, said Lt. Col Troy Molendyke, 705th commander. "We offer the war fighter a one-of-a-kind training opportunity to train for the fight with those they join in combat," said Colonel Molendyke, who is also host of the exercise. "In addition to executing operations together, participants planned, briefed and debriefed together via video teleconference, voice over Internet protocol, file-sharing and shared playback software. This approach allows war fighters to develop war-time expectations in training before deploying to a specific area of responsibility." Although tenets behind Virtual Flag exercises span more than 25 years, the mission and execution has changed dramatically, said Major McTernan. "We're constantly evolving to meet the needs of the war fighter, adding elements, changing threats - anything that our forces or allies may face, we want to address," he said. Virtual Flag exercises are typically held four times per year. Virtual Flag 09-2 featured several new elements, Major McTernan said. "This is the first time we've had the Joint Command and Control Net Enabled Weapon certification event," he said. "It's testing real-time targeting, engagement and assessment portions of the kill chain, and what we find out here will shape future joint tactics, techniques and procedures." Additionally, F-22 simulator integration and the first Control and Reporting Center participation from home station were featured events. Another first in Virtual Flag 09-2 was the integration of the Distributed Common Ground Station. The DCGS conducts real-time imagery exploitation, annotation and dissemination of intelligence data and provides live threat warning and real-time battle damage assessment to exercise participants. "Having the DCGS here gives Combined Air and Space Operations Center staff more realistic training while also giving the DCGS folks the opportunity to train in conventional force-on-force scenarios," said 705th CTS Intelligence Flight Commander Capt Joe Delostrinos. Expanding training opportunities across the joint spectrum continues to be a Virtual Flag hallmark, said Colonel Molendyke, a hallmark that will continue with successive Virtual Flags. "The participants may change, the equipment may change, and the technology may change," said Colonel Molendyke. "One thing always stays the same - we enable warriors to sharpen their combat skills in a fast-paced, joint training environment."