Airlift control flight deploys to Canada Published Aug. 25, 2006 By Tech. Sgt. Veronica Aceveda 512th Airlift Wing DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- The 512th Airlift Control Flight recently supported Operation Maple Flag in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada. The once-a-year event provides a venue to develop war-fighting air combat skills among friendly forces. The six-week training exercise in May and June involved an estimated 500 fighter jets from various military services and nations ranging from the Netherlands to Singapore. Chief Master Sgt. Doug Pyatt is one of two members who deployed for the entirety of the event. He said the training was similar to that of aerial war games performed at Operation Red Flag in Las Vegas for the past 30 years. "It's the Canadian-sponsored version, where fighter-type aircraft from several friendly nations practice flying missions together in stressful, simulated combat conditions," said the chief, who worked alongside Tech. Sgt. Eduardo Estrada-Reyes, the other Liberty Wing member who supported OMF from beginning to end. Eight other members from the 512th ALCF, including the commander, Maj. Russ Carlisle, backfilled position shortages from the 440th ALCF out of General Mitchell Air Reserve Station, Wis. In addition to supporting the Maple Flag mission, Major Carlisle received his Contingency Response Element commander's certification from a fellow ALCF commander also deployed to Canada. Chief Pyatt, who served as the mission support team chief at OMF, said the overall experience was much appreciated by the Reserve wing's ALCF, since actual deployments have lessened during the past year due to organizational restructuring. A CRE is what an ALCF (like the one in the 512th AW) becomes once it's activated to deploy. A CRE is charged with providing command and control, mission support, communications and aerospace ground equipment for Air Mobility Command-directed missions worldwide. However, the active-duty Air Force has formed larger Contingency Response Groups, which include all three elements of a CRE plus all of the other necessary positions needed to support a contingency operation, including maintenance, security, intelligence and all of the associated equipment such as fuel bladders and forklifts. The 512th ALCF commander said it is possible for a CRE to deploy as a whole CRG, but other positions would have to be backfilled. "It may take us some time to coordinate the shortfalls of these assets, whereas active duty already has them on hand for immediate deployment," said the 512th ALCF commander. But when the 512th ALCF does get the call to deploy, it will definitely be joint and probably multi-national. "That's why Maple Flag is so important; it gives my guys the valuable opportunity to practice how we fight, joint and multi-national, under the stress of a simulated combat environment," said Major Carlisle. "In addition, it helps our people in seven different (career fields) to stay proficient at doing their jobs." More specifically, while deployed to Canada, 512th ALCF members handled the airlift needs of about three to four aircraft per day, including a variety of cargo and tanker planes. "Each aircraft is different, so we must know the procedures and characteristics for each type," said the chief, who's also a loadmaster. "If an aircraft broke and needed parts, we coordinated the delivery of those parts; our role was to recover and launch (AMC) aircraft." In all, Dover reservists contributed to about 40 airlift missions, managing up to 50 tractor-trailer trucks full of equipment during a 45-day period.