How
often does an expeditionary combat support wing get to run a
complete expeditionary airfield? Not often enough, according
to No. 395 Expeditionary Combat Support Wing.
They have been so busy committed to operations that last month
was the first time many in the group had the opportunity to
see some new equipment.
Getting “back to basics” in Exercise Northern Station – not
held since 2002 – proved to them you can always learn something
on training that you may not get to experience in real incidents.
The exercise scenario was a peacekeeping mission to a fictitious
country called Tarhoolie.
It
was held on the High Range training area west of Townsville
in June, focusing on the deployment of No. 381 and No. 386 Expeditionary
Support Squadrons, based at Williamtown and Richmond. According
to the OC 395ECSW, Group Captain Graham O’Brien, it was based
loosely on the situation in the Solomon Islands.
“The Australian government assistance comprised land forces
with airlift assets in support provided to Tarhoolie during
a period of instability,” GPCAPT O’Brien said.
“395ECSW was tasked to activate and maintain two airfields for
use by Caribou and C130 aircraft.
“The primary objective was to get back to basics and to practise
our core business of running an expeditionary airfield.
Scenarios ranged from airfield emergencies, heightened security,
interaction with the local government and civilians, evacuation
handling, explosive ordnance and improvised devices, kitchen
fires, casualties and the like.”
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AC
Sean Boller
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WHO
WAS INVOLVED
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No.
382 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron from RAAF Base
Amberley provided Exercise Control and Orange Force services
from Camp Engstrom.
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No.
381 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron from RAAF Base
Williamtown operated Woolshed airfield.
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No.
386 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron from RAAF Base
Richmond operated Benning airfield.
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No.
1 Air Terminal Squadron and No. 1 Combat Logistics Squadron
from RAAF Base Townsville and No. 1 Combat Communications
Squadron from RAAF Base Richmond had personnel assigned
to each of the ECSSs providing specialist services, as
did No. 1 Airfield Defence Squadron, the Health Services
Wing and No. 44 Wing.
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No.
86 Wing flew C130s to take people to the exercise.
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No.
38 Squadron Detachment B at RAAF Base Townsville, flying
DHC-4 Caribous, provided air transport support.
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Detailed
input from the Wing’s intelligence staff ensured the exercise
was realistic.
“We were able to apply lessons learned from recent operations,
particularly to some of our basic procedures, such as public
broadcast systems for the base and rosters.
“There are some equipment aspects that we need to address. For
example, we’ve become very reliant on gas in our kitchens and
elsewhere, but for the expeditionary airbase we can’t be reliant
on a single product. It may not always be available.
“We also need to improve our night sensor and night vision capability,
particularly for when we support aircraft operating under night
vision conditions.
“We deployed some of our own climatecontrolled accommodation,
which was the first time many of our units had seen it. We need
to practise this more often and are moving to improve our capability
to provide climate-controlled accommodation.
“We deployed some basic airfield navigation aids and lighting
on Northern Station and we’ll be adding more modern systems
in the future.”
‘The primary objective was to get back to basics’ The exercise
is typically the culmination of the Wing’s annual training program,
which progresses members from individual readiness training
through to unit readiness and then deployment to either a greenfield
site or a bare base for expeditionary airbase training.
However, GPCAPT O’Brien said 395ECSW had not been deployed to
run a complete expeditionary airbase for some time.
“Northern Station gave us the opportunity to practise the whole
process, from Wing and Unit planning, deployment by air and
road, establishment and operation of basic airfield infrastructure,
using our basic procedures and then drawing down to redeploy
units.
Lateral planning with other Wings and Units was another aspect.
“We’ve got a complete new team of executives right across the
Wing since the last Northern Station and a lot of new equipment,
so it was imperative that we got Northern Station back on our
training calendar.
“We also needed to review our procedures in light of our recent
operational experience and apply the lessons we’ve learned from
that experience. It’s also part of our ongoing development process,
remembering that we are a relatively new Wing.”
He said the enthusiasm and dedication the task by people in
all of the Wing’s units was exceptional.
“One aspect that particularly pleased me was the attitude displayed
by everyone to the simulated scenarios. There was no exercise
mentality evident at any stage and that resulted in realistic
training.”
He is aiming for the exercise to continue to be a key activity
in future years. “It’s too late to practise on operations,”
he said.
“Of course, the 395ECSW program is always dependent on our commitment
operations and other Air Command exercises, but we will plan
a bare base exercise next year, which we call Northern Awakening
and which we haven’t run for several years.
“In the longer term, we’ll alternate between a dirt airfield
and a bare base exercise with the bare base taking precedence
next year.
“Where possible, these exercises will be combined with other
Air Command activities to provide training value to other Wings
and give us a much more realistic setting.
The scope of the exercise will also be broadened to better satisfy
the training needs of other Combat Support Group Wings, possibly
including an increase to the threat level and support for the
air transportable hospital.
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