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Reservists train with Army special forces

  • Published
  • By Tech Sgt. Tanya King
  • 403rd Wing Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Reservists from the 815th Airlift Squadron completed a joint airborne and air transportability training mission with Army Special Forces in Key West, Fla., April 16.

The JA/ATT program provides the 815th AS "Flying Jennies" with unique training opportunities, according to Lt. Col. Mark Carter, 403rd Operations Support Flight chief of operations.

Army students and instructors of the Special Forces Underwater Operations School partnered with the Flying Jennies to parachute from the C-130J-30 "Super Hercules" over a water drop zone, part of their training in the combat diver qualification course.

The six-week training includes exercises in underwater search and recovery, submarine lock-in and lock-out procedures, ship bottom search and recovery and over-the-water infiltration techniques.

Though the unique part of this mission for the Flying Jennies is that the drop zone is over water, the procedures aren't any more challenging than airdropping personnel over land, said Lt. Col. Brian Freeman, 403rd Operations Group pilot and mission commander for the training exercise.

"Typically we are flying over land, but the process is basically the same," he said. "In either case, we verify exactly where the user wants their cargo or personnel delivered and do our best to put it there."

The Flying Jennies delivered 14 students and instructors and one assault raft on target to their drop zone near Key West Naval Air Station, Fla.

According to Colonel Carter, a primary benefit of this type of training is participants can learn what works and what doesn't in a controlled environment.

"We have the added benefit of not only communicating and sharing ideas, but we learn more about what other services do on a day-to-day basis and are better able to appreciate each other's roles in defense of our national security." Colonel Carter said. "We would rather have lessons learned in training than in a wartime environment."

""For specialized operations such as this, we depend on joint capabilities to ensure mission success," said Maj. Dave Butler, Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School public affairs officer.  "It's vital that we train like we fight, and this joint training maximizes our effectiveness both at home and down range."

Other JA/ATT missions include transporting and delivering vehicles via air-land into unimproved airfields, or airdrop, paralleling the kind of requests the 815th AS might receive during combat.

"If a unit wants us to airlift a vehicle into a dirt strip, it's better to discover and resolve any issues around the onload or offload in a training environment," said Colonel Carter.

Training for combat missions can not only help identify potential problems, but also validate additional capabilities such as those realized with employment of the C-130J, the latest version of the Hercules aircraft.

"Past missions have helped prove the C-130J model can fly faster, farther, higher and smarter than the legacy models," said Colonel Carter.

"The J-model's improvements are most pronounced when we operate closer to the edge of our operating envelope; the more powerful engines and more efficient propellers enable us to carry heavier loads farther than the legacy models," said Colonel Freeman.

The glass cockpit and moving map, both features exclusive to the J-model, offer increased situational awareness, particularly in the low-level flying environments required to complete these missions, Colonel Freeman said.

Every six months, the joint services work together to identify what is required from all JA/ATT participants.

"We find a mission that matches with our training requirements and capabilities," said Colonel Carter. "From there the tactical requirements are identified in order to execute the mission. Further communication after the mission makes the process even better."

"In the C-130 world, the Army is our primary customer. Most of the way we do business is driven by what the Army needs," said Colonel Freeman. "That's what we practice for, train for and ultimately execute in combat."
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