6 Little Rock C-130s participate in 10-ship formation

by Senior Airman Rusty Frank
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

6/12/2013 - LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Little Rock Air Force Base participated and provided aircraft for a joint force exercise with Army units May 31 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

Little Rock was one of more than 10 bases joined with the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Bragg, N.C., for the exercise.

Six aircraft departed from Little Rock AFB and rendezvoused with four more C-130s departed from Nellis AFB, said Capt. Jason Jones, a 53rd Airlift Squadron assistant chief of training.

There were also numerous C-17 and C-130J models dropping equipment and personnel in front of and behind the Little Rock and Nellis 10 ship formation of C-130s dropping personnel. Several different aircraft participated in the exercise, to include the F-15, F-16, A-10, HH-60, KC-135 KC-10, RC-135, EC-130, E-8 and U-2 as actual or notional supporting the mission, said Jones.

One of the main reasons Team Little Rock participated was to train and learn how to work with other services while learning how to provide tactical airlift.

Maj. Drew Skovran, 53rd Airlift Squadron assistant director of operations said he believes this type of an exercise is an opportunity for all aircrew to hone their abilities employing the aircraft.

"I believe Helmuth Von Moltke is first quoted in saying 'No plan survives contact with the enemy,'" said Skovran. "It is the same with training! That is part of the reason we do these large-scale exercises. We never get it perfect, but the more we practice the more we can refine and get it right."

With training and preparation for an operation of this magnitude, every military member is afforded the opportunity to experience how the mission falls into place. "With these large scale exercises, it grows exponentially in complexity," said Skovran. "Everyone involved, from the Army paratroopers we dropped to the Airmen refueling the planes after the exercise, gains knowledge in how they affect the overall grand strategy."

Every participant can find something to take away from in such a big exercise.

"My biggest take away from this exercise is how much planning it takes in order to execute an operation of this scale and the precise timing required for the mission to be successful," said Jones.

The purpose of the Operation Joint Forcible Entry was to test the Air Force's capability to deliver air drops and recover personnel in a war time environment.