ALCFs provide Command and Control for Maple Flag 47

Published June 2, 2014
By SSgt Matthew Burke
914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

EDMONTON/COLD LAKE, CANADA -- Eleven 315th Airlift Wing Airmen are among 175 Reservists participating in Exercise Maple Flag 47, a joint coalition exercise at Edmonton International Airport and Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, Alberta, Canada, from May 24 to June 7.

Eight of the Reservists are from the 315th Airlift Control Flight, two from 81st Aerialport Squadron, one from the 38th APS. Reservists from the 433rd ALCF joined the 315th Airmen and worked together to provide a full range of transportation support and command and control activities for this annual international training exercise.

Of the five Air Force Reserve Command Airlift Control Flights assigned to 4th Air Force, none operate C-130 Hercules aircraft. This makes the partnership with the C-130's during Maple Flag 47 an uncommon practice.

"We get to participate with C-130 squadrons that we don't see very often," said Lt. Col. Don Thigpen, 315th ALCF commander. "It allows us to get a good picture of what (the aircrews) expect, and it helps (the aircrews) understand how we operate."

The communication between the airlift control flight and aircrews is important to structured operations. Most times, an ALCF provides the final directions from operations to the aircrew prior to departure.

"One tenant of Air Force doctrine is centralized control, decentralized execution," said Thigpen. "We are the string between the control and the execution."

Besides providing secure and unsecure communication, ALCF members coordinated passenger manifests and used material handling equipment to load and unloading transported gear. Both units took full advantage of the time in Alberta to rehearse operations on foreign soil.

"[participation in Maple Flag] gives us a chance to deploy outside the states," said Thigpen. "There are more challenges with communications, frequency requests, timelines and diplomatic clearances. All of the things that go into deploying to an overseas location, but closer to our home basing."

The practice and coordination the 315th ALCF receives at Maple Flag 47 is vital to the development of real world skills used during contingency operations, even in geographically separated locations.

"One of our unofficial mottos is 'Rigid Flexibility,'" said Master Sgt. Charlie Callahan, a radio frequency transmissions systems specialist positioned at Cold Lake Weapons Range. "We know that we have to get this done, so we have to be rigid about it, but flexible in execution. We have to be ready for changes."

Maple Flag 47 has already experienced challenges with weather, mechanical issues and changes to the mission plan. None of these issues has deterred the 315th and 433rd ALCFs from completing their mission.

"We've had a few issues with malfunctions of our equipment," said Callahan, who will return to the 433rd ALCF at the conclusion of the exercise. "But we have good communication with Edmonton, so we know what aircraft are coming and what to expect when they get here."

The interoperability and adaptability of ALCF members is something they all take professional pride in whether at home or abroad.

"[Our unit] was awarded Air Force Reserve Command Mobile Command and Control [unit] of the Year for 2013," said Thigpen. "A tremendous honor, considering the competition."

Maple Flag prepares participants for global operations, enables joint operations training, and fosters multi-national coordination and cooperation. The exercise includes command and control; air-to-air and air-to-surface operations; air-to-air refueling; airborne early warning and control; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; tactical airlift; and tactical aviation

Michael Dukes, 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs, contributed to this article.