USAF Expeditionary Operations School hosts global wargame
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J -- The U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School hosted over 80 participants for Global Mobility and Agile Combat Support here, Feb. 12-16.
The exercise evaluates the capabilities, platforms and forces that are expected to be available for combatant commanders 8 to 10 years in the future. GLOMO/ACS18 will inform risk analysis and planning processes across Rapid Global Mobility and Agile Combat Support Core Functions, as well as prepare participants and supporting materials for conducting Global Engagement 2018.
“I think with the changing of technology, threats and adversaries, so too do our exercises need to change to keep up with it,” said Brig. Gen. Greg Haase, Special Assistant to the Deputy Director, Air National Guard and Director Mobility Forces for GLOMO/ACS18. “It’s kind of a revolving door as we sample the different geographical combatant commands and see how we need to move the people, equipment and resources and create supply chains to [support mission needs] as we go to war.”
Each wargame participant is a subject-matter expert in a particular field, such as security forces, contingency-response forces, air refueling, airlift, aircraft maintenance, and aerial port operations. They inform decision making by offering real-world perspectives on what can be accomplished and what is unreasonable.
“One of the things we want to get out there is building the logistics realism into the war gaming effort, said Maj. Michael Askegren, Headquarters Air Force Logistics and Combined Joint Task Force lead planner for GLOMO/ACS18. “It’s all about resources … this exercise will help drive for better informed resourcing and budgeting for the Pacific Air Forces’ area of responsibility.”
For added realism, representatives from the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada worked alongside U.S. participants during the exercise.
“Partnerships are critical,” said Haase. “Understanding and realizing the differences of the time and distance of tyranny compared to other locations that we may be used to operating in are significant, so it’s good to get perspective and increase those relationships and trust between those relationships. A lot of what we get from this is more transformational coupled with a small piece of innovation.”
Royal Australian Air Force Squadron Leader Cameron Macpherson, acting as the coalition mobility subject matter expert, said the RAAF will use the lessons learned from the exercise for real-world planning.
“From an Australian perspective, we’re able to pull the data and lessons learned and use those at home to provide that realism of how the United States would operate in this theater, which allows us to plan and forecast better for the future,” said Macpherson.
The information gained from GLOMO/ACS18 will not only be used to inform and support planning for the Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s wargame Global Engagement 2018, but to ensure AMC and Air Force leaders, along with their allies are prepared to provide Rapid Global Mobility across the globe.
“We’ve all said the internet has shrunk the size of the globe, and, as the size of the globe has shrunk, it increases the need to move things more quickly and more swiftly,” said Haase. “This exercise is forcing us to do that and think in more efficient ways to move product and create more secure supply chains.”
The U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, located at the USAF Expeditionary Center, is the Air Force’s Center of Excellence for mobility and expeditionary operations skills training and Air Mobility Command's provider of global reach and support to the mobility enterprise.