High Rollers fly with Navy during Resolute Hunter Exercise

The 192nd Airlift Squadron of the Nevada Air National Guard participated in Exercise Resolute Hunter joint training at the Naval Air Station Fallon Range Training Complex from Oct. 21-25.

Naval Air Station Fallon and Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center are the Navy’s premier Weapon Tactics Instructor schools.

“This range complex has some of the most advanced enemy threat emitters in the world,” said Maj. Kyle Carraher, a pilot with the 192nd Airlift Squadron in Reno. “Training is as realistic as you can get. We want to bolster our relationship with the entities in Fallon so we can train smarter and more effectively. This is an extraordinary opportunity to support their objectives while meeting our internal training requirements.”

The training complex encompasses NAS Fallon and nearby range training areas, Bureau of Land Management rights of way and 13,000 square miles of special use airspace.

This exercise enhances the joint cooperation among many entities and not limited to the Air National Guard and the Navy.

“The relationship with NAS Fallon really benefits everyone connected to these airplanes on base,” Carraher said. “I say this because future operations rely on joint interoperability, and joint interoperability is only going to happen if we train together. The relationships we build result with the other branches of services increased ability to support the joint fight.

The 192nd logged 25.3 flying hours, accomplished 614 training events and more than 25 radar threat reactions and dropped four low-cost low altitude bundles. They also flew three mission commander/lead upgrade rides, two pilot-checkout-course upgrade flights and a one-time no-notice pilot mission check ride. They were also able to execute a C-130H and C-130J interfly with the California Air National Guard from the Channel Islands.

“Channel Islands is our sister unit in the modular airborne firefighting system mission due to their close proximity in response to wildland fires,” Carraher said. “We have a great working relationship with their unit, and C-130H and C-130J interfly is an invaluable skill to develop. The airframes share many similarities, but the intricacies of flying in formation are challenging.”

There were 4,500 people supporting the exercise with 12 airframes.

“It really boils down to communication,” Carraher said. “Simple things like ‘shorthand’ or ‘lingo’ between services does not always translate to clear communication, and this is exactly why we train together, so we can identify impediments to accomplishing the mission in training so we can execute the mission in the real world.