4th FW Strike Eagles head to Nellis in support of Red Flag 15-1

by Airman 1st Class Aaron J. Jenne
4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

1/28/2015 - SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Eight of the 4th Fighter Wing's F-15Es took off for Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, in support of Red Flag 15-1, Jan. 23.

The exercise, featuring aircraft from 21 different U.S. Air Force squadrons, offers realistic combat training involving the air, space and cyber forces of the United States and its allies.

"Red Flag is a great opportunity to streamline our interoperability with the rest of the Air Force and our allies," said Capt. Cody Williams, 336th Fighter Squadron weapons systems officer. "This exercise allows aircrews to train the same way they would fight in the battlespace."

But this iteration of Red Flag has the 4th Fighter Wing's Strike Eagles performing a different role by providing adversary support. During the exercise, they will be simulating hostile aircraft in numerous training scenarios that build in intensity and difficulty as the weeks go on.

"Red Flag gives our aircrew the opportunity to learn more about adversary tactics and weapon systems and to become more familiar with possible threats we will be facing in the future," said Lt. Col. Trent Tripple, 335th Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations. "Our main purpose this time is to support the squadrons that are preparing to deploy. It's a different role than we're used to, but flying in an advanced large force exercise always provides excellent training regardless of the role."

The exercise is hosted north of Las Vegas on the Nevada Test and Training Range - the U.S. Air Force's premier military training area with more than 15,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. The 414th Combat Training Squadron, assigned to the 57th Wing, is responsible for executing Red Flag. The exercise is one in of a series of advanced training programs administered at Nellis AFB and on the NTTR by organizations assigned to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center.

Nellis AFB and the NTTR are the home of a simulated battlefield, providing combat air forces with the ability to train to fight together in a peacetime environment to survive and win together.

Since 1975, Red flag has provided training for more than 440,000 military personnel, including more than 145,000 aircrew members flying more than 385,000 sorties and logging more than 660,000 hours of flying time.

This year also marks the 40th anniversary of Red Flag. Red Flag 15-1 began Jan. 26 and will conclude Feb. 13.