Leader of the Pack Published June 4, 2014 By Staff Sergeant Matthew Burke 914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs EDMONTON, Alberta -- 15 minutes pass. Seven C-130 Hercules aircraft patiently wait for repairs to take place on the last plane of their large formation to kick-off the flying portion of Maple Flag 47. 30 minutes. Thick black clouds of exhaust flood the tarmac of Edmonton International Airport as the aircraft continue to await the arrival of the missing member. 90 minutes. The direction is given for the seven to depart without the last aircraft, as necessary repairs make flying unsafe. Often times when changes occur in an exercise environment, leaders are affected first. The 94th Airlift Wing, the lead unit for the combined exercise that runs from May 24 to June 7 between United States Air Force Reserve Command and Canadian Forces, has adapted to everything it has faced so far. "Maple Flag, for a lot of us, is one of the first times we've been in large formations outside of [home-station] training," said 1st Lt. Michael Edwards, C-130 co-pilot for the 700th Airlift Squadron. "We're going to be doing things like launching chaff in reaction to radar threats and tactics from Canadian CF-18 fighters. These are all things that most of us haven't done before." As is the case with any large scale training exercise, the more moving parts there are, the more opportunities for issues and complications. Procedures vary slightly from aircrew to aircrew and from wing to wing. "There are a lot of challenges for large formations--anytime you get eight different crews with their own ideas going in one direction it can be pretty challenging when things go wrong," said Edwards. "We had several issues [on day one]. But it's good to see that happen in a training environment because when you get out operationally, if you have those issues--you've seen it, and you know how to react." Reaction and adaptability are key to the evolution of a successful exercise and Maple Flag is no different, having changed its format to allow additional C-130 participants. These changes will test every person's ability to adjust to an evolving exercise. In an exercise that is so dependent on flying, it can be easy to overlook the maintenance crews that play a vital role in making sure the planes are ready to fly. Maintenance crews were interspersed between the four C-130 units for Maple Flag providing each wing's members a unique opportunity to work on aircraft they've not seen before. "Communication is key," said Senior Airman Angel Galarza, crew chief with the 94th Airlift Wing, who is participating in his second Maple Flag exercise."[We] come out here, make sure everyone is on the same page, and work together." Maple Flag has been in an evolving state from its inception. For a variety of reasons beyond the control of the exercise planners, many coalition forces have withdrawn from exercise participation. The mission planning cell is determined to facilitate an exercise that challenges the participating units, while making adjustments on the fly to accommodate changes. "The (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) has commitments overseas right now and most of the participants for Maple Flag are members of NATO," said Lt. Col. Thomas Moffat, 700th Airlift Squadron pilot and Air Operations Officer for Maple Flag. "Real-world commitments have scaled down the exercise this year, but the result is an even more transport-friendly option for us." Maple Flag's operations have improved in a short period of time, primarily due to strong leadership and the continued flexibility of everyone involved with the exercise. Personnel have overcome challenges with unfavorable weather conditions, maintenance concerns, and scheduling conflicts with the host nation. "Our aircrews are getting sharper every day," said Moffat. "The first day of any exercise is very difficult, but as we move forward it's now a pretty smooth running operation." As Maple Flag progresses into its second week, commanders and unit members are comparing statistics and accomplishments. However, every Airman understands the importance of Maple Flag from both an individual and a total Air Force Reserve Command perspective. "We're all working together," said Galarza. "It's been a great experience for me. As they say, it's one team, one fight."
