Airmen receive NATO training Published Sept. 20, 2013 By Senior Airman Elizabeth Van Patten 94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs COLD LAKE, ALBERTA CANADA -- Forty-eight Airmen from the 94th Airlift Wing traveled from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga. to Edmonton, Alberta Canada last month to participate in Maple Flag 2013, a multi-unit international exercise sponsored by the Canadian Armed Forces and Air Combat Command. The C-130 aircrews deployed, planned, employed and debriefed with foreign military personnel. Participation was, by and large, due to initiative taken by Airmen within the 700th Airlift Squadron. "Maple Flag provided invaluable training for the wing," said Master Sgt. Jeffery Botz, 700th AS loadmaster. "The vast majority of aircrews we sent to Canada have been flying less than five years and had yet to train in a full NATO scenario. This presented a unique set of challenges with equipment compatibility and language barriers. However between aircrews' experience, ability to work well and take initiative, we were able to ensure everyone had the proper information to execute the mission." Missions for the 700 AS included low-level flying, following foreign terrain to insert foreign paratroopers behind enemy lines despite encountering threats from simulated surface to air missiles near designated drop zones. Other countries represented during the exercise included Canada, Belgium, United Kingdom, Singapore and the Netherlands. Participation in this exercise incurred no extra cost to the Air Force Reserve Command, while providing necessary, qualifying hours for aircrews within flying squadrons like the 700th AS. This was the first time that the 94th AW has participated in the exercise, and wing leadership has plans to participate again with more crews and aircraft to take advantage of this training opportunity.
