HAFB Airmen participate in California's Reaper exercise

Airmen from Holloman Air Force Base’s 9th and 29th Aircraft Maintenance Units participated in Agile Combat Employment (ACE) Reaper 23.6 at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, Feb. 14 to Feb. 16.

During the exercise, Holloman MQ-9 maintainers were under the guidance of Airmen from both Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., and Creech AFB, Nevada, to gain proficiency with Portable Aircraft Control Stations. The system allows maintainers to execute pre-flight checks without the need for aircrew to deploy for take offs and landings in remote locations.

“Being able to work alongside Creech and Cannon Airmen benefits our maintainers a lot,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Julius Castillo, 29th AMU productions superintendent. “The Airmen from Creech were able to record any difficulties that we ran into during the exercise and the Cannon maintainers provided insight into the PACS and Satcom Launch and Recovery.”

The PACS was used in conjunction with SLR. This was the first off-station SLR takeoff and landing while the sensor operators and pilots were still at Holloman AFB.

The exercise also provided an opportunity to use a TowFLEXX TF3 aircraft tug. The TF3 is a remote-controlled aircraft tug with a high-range signal which allows Airmen to freely maneuver around the aircraft. By utilizing this modernized technology, MQ-9s can be moved more easily and efficiently by maintenance personnel.

The MCAGCC played a pivotal role in the exercise and provided CH-53E Super Stallions helicopters to help load and off-load equipment to simulate island hopping in the Pacific.

The change in location for the MQ-9s, joint operations with the Marines and coordination with Airmen from other bases allowed the Holloman aircrew to experience new challenges and become more proficient at their jobs.

“Being able to use PACS and SLR changes the way that we fight,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Christopher Conover, 6th Attack Squadron assistant operations officer. “This is just one of the options that we have for training because it feels real for our Airmen.”

Agile combat employment is a key operating concept for how the U.S. Air Force will fight in a modern, contested environment.

Holloman Air Force Base is the largest MQ-9 training unit in the U.S. Air Force producing over 700 MQ-9 pilots and sensor operators each year.  MQ-9s provide dominant persistent attack as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance for combatant commanders and coalition partners across the globe.