Exercise Global Eagle: force protection specialists from three nations conduct combined training

by Capt. Carolyn Glover and Cpl. Barbara Robinson
U.S. Air Forces in Europe - United Kingdom Public Affairs and RAF Honington Public Affairs

9/19/2014 - RAF HONINGTON, ENGLAND -- Exercise Global Eagle, a combined exercise involving 112 U.S., U.K. and French force protection specialists took place Sept. 1 through 15 at various Ministry of Defence training locations across the United Kingdom. Nine-member teams were established at the start of the event, with three members each from the 820th Base Defense Group from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., II Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment from RAF Honington, England, and Commando Parachutiste De l'Air No. 20 from Air Base 102, Dijon, France.

This year, for the first time, force protection specialists from three different nations came together for two weeks to train and exchange tactics, techniques and procedures on a variety of defense capabilities, including hand-to-hand combat, land navigation and weapons familiarization. The exercise took place in three phases: team-building, military skills execution and Ministry of Defense parachute training. The event concluded with a combined jump out of a RAF C-130J Hercules, where the U.S. and French jumpers earned the British Military Parachute Wings.

Exercise Global Eagle is an annual exercise conducted on U.S. Air Force and RAF installations on alternating years.