77th WPS training is as real as it can get

by Airman 1st Class Alexander Guerrero
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

12/24/2014 - SNYDER ELECTRONIC WARFARE RANGE, Texas -- The 77th Weapons Squadron and the 39th Airlift Squadron from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, participated in a simulated airfield seizure with Joint Terminal Attack Controllers from the 66th WPS, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and a U.S. Army Special Forces unit, Oct. 21-23, in Snyder.

The airfield operation was organized to provide training opportunities for aircrews, JTACS and soldiers alike, while building cohesion through the communication and tactics used during the exercise.

"The training that took place in Snyder was a 'flex targeting sortie three' which means it was a force-on-force scenario," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Creer, 77th Weapons School commander. "Among those participating in it were B-1B Lancer's from the 77 WPS, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers from the 66th WPS, and C-130J Super Hercules from the 39th Airlift Squadron that were dropping U.S. Army Special Forces troops."

During previous exercises, aircraft platforms and Army units were simulated. Including multiple units to perform different aspects of the exercise added a higher level of realism for all players involved.

"It was a complex mission set that the 77th gave their students," said Capt. Sam Dunlap, 39th Airlift Squadron chief of weapons and tactics. "There were many difficult situations that required a good deal of problem solving from the students."

The 77th WPS aircrew who participated in the simulated airfield assault worked closely with the JTACS to destroy key enemy resources and provide close air support, which is a likely scenario for B-1s in a combat environment.

"Our goal is to provide as advanced real-world tactic training as we can," Creer said. "We have many types of capabilities at our disposal, including JTACs from the 66th WPS, who used their tactics, techniques and procedures to enhance the experience for our B-1B crews."

The training provided new learning experiences, not just for the weapon school students in B-1Bs, but for the Airmen in the C-130Js as well. The C-130J pilots had the opportunity to practice enabling high altitude, low-opening parachute jumps for U.S. Army Special Forces.

"There are only a few units that jump out the back cargo ramp and being at the higher altitudes drives us to have different mission considerations," Dunlap said. "At that higher altitude we have to depressurize the cabin in order to drop the ramp so it changes some of our planning and gives us a different environment to work in."