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MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho - It's cold and dark.
The only sound heard are small crunches in the sage brush as
I slowly shift from knee to knee, in attempt to stay warm
and keep my legs from falling asleep.
It's well past
midnight, the only thing keeping me warm is my breath, but
I'm hesitant to breathe because it fogs my camera - the most
important tool of a combat photojournalist, next to his
rifle while downrange.
Gazing through my night vision
lens, I watch a laser show unfold and, for a moment, my mind
slips to Walt Disney World, Fla., where I've witnessed many
impressive laser and light shows.
A figure comes into
focus. It's U.S. Marine Capt. Chris Walker, 1st Air Naval
Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO, from Camp Pendleton,
Calif.) joint terminal attack controller, and he's aiming
his infrared pointing and illuminating laser (or B.E.
Meyer's 'IZLID') at a target as the roars of AV-8B Harrier
turbofan engines erupt in my ears.
U.S. Marine Cpl. Andrew Dimauro
scans the desert as Marine Capt. Erich Lloyd, 1st Air Naval Gunfire
Liaison Company Supporting Arms Liaison Team Delta members, during
joint terminal attack controller training at Juniper Butte bombing
range near Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, Oct. 8, 2013. (U.S.
Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Kevin Wallace) |
Snapping back to reality, it's instantly clear I'm not at
the "Happiest Place on Earth."
No, I'm in Idaho, at
the Juniper Butte bombing range near Mountain Home Air Force
Base and have a job to do.
Up on one knee now, I
continued to shoot photographic imagery and video as Walker,
and seven other Marines from 1st ANGLICO Supporting Arms
Liaison Team Delta (SALT-D) direct U.S. Navy, German Air
Force and Royal Singaporean Air Force close-air support on
insurgents planting an improvised-explosive device during
exercise Mountain Roundup 2013.
Realistic training
provides the U.S. and partnered warfighters the combat edge.
The realism is in Afghanistan and on virtually any
battlefield past or present, combat doesn't end when the sun
sets, so it's essential participants at Mountain Roundup
continue to train through the night.
Anyone who's
spent time in Southern or Western Afghanistan would likely
agree the deserts around Mountain Home look very familiar.
That realistic environment makes the perfect location for
ground forces to operate against fictitious enemies and
perform JTAC training.
We also have the right mix of
air space, modern ranges and proficient Airmen here. So,
though this is my first Mountain Roundup, I'm not surprised
the GAF, ANGLICO Marines and other combatants consider
Mountain Home the perfect location for this type of
combined-joint training.
"During this whole Mountain
Roundup exercise, we've been partnering with the Germans,
Singaporean Air Force and all our U.S. joint partners to
train as a combined-joint unit aimed at the same objective,"
said Marine Capt. Erich Lloyd, 1st ANGLICO forward air
controller. "Training with our allies is a very important
role for ANGLICO because we are the Marine Corps' liaison
for coalition partners."
Though night elements,
frigid weather and coarse terrain didn't slow SALT-D down,
however, politics early this fiscal year certainly throttled
back the overall air power exhibited in the sky.
Many
U.S. Air National Guard and Air Force participants couldn't
participate in Mountain Roundup because of the government
shutdown. The exercise kicked-off Sept. 30 and it wasn't
until Oct. 15 when the host 366th Fighter Wing's F-15E
Strike Eagles from the 391st Fighter Squadron finally got
authorization to join the fight.
Once allowed, the
391st FS Bold Tigers took to the Wild Blue Yonder in masses,
flying their screaming Strike Eagles to swiftly provide day
and night air support to GAF, ANGLICO and U.S. Air Force
JTACs from the 124th Air Support Operations Squadron, from
Boise, Idaho.
Day or night, everyone involved hopes
to provide more-integrated and proficient combined-joint
forces.
"Virtually any contingency operation
involving the U.S. Air Force will also involve joint
partners and, in all probability, contain coalition
partners," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Tapan Sen, 366th FW
Weapons and Tactics Flight commander. "Inexperienced
aircrews profit from simply being airborne with 80 to 100
other aircraft; from the extremely busy radios to the
complex plans addressing airspace and target area conflicts
with other aircraft."
Unhindered by the elements,
Walker, Lloyd and SALT-D continued to direct bombs on target
as they provided vital night-time combat experience to the
pilots above. In SALT-D forward air controller Marine Sgt.
Joel Flores' words, "it's not the flag on your arm or
service patch on your chest that defines a warrior; it's the
ethos of a man (or woman) who refuses to stand-by when his
country needs him most."
I agree 100 percent with
Flores and couldn't have said it better myself. In fact, as
fellow 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs members Senior
Airman Benjamin Sutton, Airman 1st Class Devin Nothstine and
I drove the nearly three hours back to base early the next
morning, I reflected on what Flores said.
Its nights
like this when Florida weather is very becoming, but put me
on a hilltop with some brothers-in-arms using IZLIDS and
calling in air strikes, and I'm good to go. Perhaps, for me,
Disney isn't the happiest place on earth after-all.
Aside from family time, I'm truly happiest with frozen toes,
a head covered in sweat, camera in hand, and in the company
of world-class soldiers, sailors and Marines, or working
with the world's best airmen and our allies.
More photos available below
By USAF Master Sgt. Kevin Wallace
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2013
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