By Mike Bush
Editor
575magazine.com
CLOVIS — More than 50 bosses and media representatives from throughout New Mexico watched as Air National Guard F-16s bombed and strafed targets in an “enemy” airfield and a Marine Reserve rescue team, arriving in an Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, rescued a downed pilot at the Melrose Gunnery Range near Clovis.
Three F-16s from the New Mexico Air National Guard overfly their target area in preparation for a bomb attack at the Melrose Gunnery Range during Bosslift 2010 April 30-May 1 sponsored by the New Mexico Employee Support for the Guard and Reserve Committee.
(Mike Bush photo)
The bosses were there for New Mexico Boss Lift 2010, April 30-May 1, sponsored by the New Mexico Employee Support for the Guard and Reserve Committee.
Those from northern New Mexico had flown down Friday morning from Kirtland Air Force Base on a KC-135, witnessing an aerial refueling on the way to Cannon Air Force Base. From there, they rode a bus to the Melrose range. Those from Roswell and Carlsbad rode up in vans.
The planned program was modified because of high winds. A parachute drop by Marines from the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion was canceled and the F-16s didn’t drop chaff and flares to distract heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles during their bomb runs Friday as they would do during an actual mission.
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from the New Mexico Air National Guard fly over the Melrose Range for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Bosslift” 2010 May 1. A team of Marine Reserve Joint Terminal Attack Controllers called in targets from the ground in an aerial bombing demonstration for a crowd of more than 50 people.
(U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Stephanie Strine)
But as the crowd watched from the bleachers, six F-16s made what Lt. Col. Joel Harris of the New Mexico Air National Guard, who narrated Friday’s exercise, said was a basic surface attack.
“What they’re gong to do today is they’re practicing their specific single-ship attacks … and they’re trying to sneak their way in and bomb a target,” Harris said.
The F-16s came in at 500 feet altitude, traveling at about 450 mph for their bombing runs.
On Saturday, the bosses watched as a team from the 4th Recon, ferried in by a Blackhawk, rescued the pilot who had been “shot down” in Friday’s F-16 raid.
Army National Guard Col. Richard Clark reminded the crowd that Maj. Gen. Kenny Montoya, New Mexico National Guard commander, had tasked them with locating targets. Someone suggested communications. Clark said knocking out communications would prevent the enemy from launching interceptors and pointed out the aircraft themselves also were targets.
Col. Richard Clark, Deputy Chief of Staff for Training Operations for the New Mexico National Guard, narrates an F-16 Fighting Falcon demonstration to more than 50 people attending the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Boss Lift 2010.
(U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Stephanie Strine)
“The significance of knocking out aircraft on the runway is that all the fuel inside that airplane, when you hit it with the bomb, makes a bigger hole, and so therefore if you have a bunch of holes in the airfield, you don’t have room to take off,” he said.
“And then what you have also is in the back you’ll see a convoy of trucks that could be a logistics or supply convoy, and so those are some of the things that are valuable … to take out, because they could be bringing forces and new ordinance to the front line.”
According to the exercise scenario, Marines from the 4th Recon had parachuted in the night before and were out in the field. Loudspeakers in the bleachers were wired into the communications between the reconnaissance team and the pilots so those in the bleachers could hear their exchanges.
He noted the pilots have to think of many things at the same time during their attacks.
“As they’re coming in, they’re thinking of a bunch of different things. One, they want to make sure they’re not running into each other upstairs as they’re flying around.”
They also want exact data about their targets.
Clark said the most difficult thing the pilots have to do is decide to drop the bomb, making sure it’s dropped on the right target.
“We don’t want them dropping them up here in the bleachers,” he said. “We want them dropping them down there and so it’s up to them as they’re flying, they’re talking to each other, they’re worried about anti-aircraft missiles, they’re talking to the guys on the ground, they’re locating targets,” then dropping their bombs.
The F-16s also are equipped with laser-guided missiles, so the ground spotters can use a laser to guide the missile to the target.
“So those are some of the toys that we have to help us do a better job,” he added.
Clark reminded the crowd that, according to the exercise scenario, one pilot in Friday’s attack had been hit by SAMs and had to bail out.
“So now it’s our opportunity, during this next phase, to locate where the pilot is because when he punches out he has a survival radio and that sends off a beacon and a signal.”
The radio also allows the pilot to verbally identify his location, he added.
“So now the next phase of the operation is to send in a search-and-rescue crew,” he said. “You can either airborne in or jump in. Today we’re going to do it via air assault, via Blackhawk, and what they’re going to do is insert a team. They’ll get on the ground, and you’ll see them hit the ground and lay down so the aircraft can take off.
“And so what they’ll do is secure the area, they’ll locate the downed pilot and then they’ll approach him.”
As the bosses watched, a Blackhawk landed on the field and a team of four Marines got out.
Four Marines from the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion deploy from a New Mexico National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter on their mission to identify and rescue a downed F-16 pilot in enemy territory.
(Mike Bush photo)
“You can tell the helicopter is not very quiet, so we could have attracted some enemy,” Clark said. “Remember, we’re looking for our downed pilot and they’re also looking for the downed pilot, because now they have a trophy out there.”
Once the recon team has found the pilot, they can’t just walk up to him, he added. They have to make sure it is their pilot and that he does not have any explosive ordinance on him.
“So they go through a process of interrogating, challenge and password,” he said. “They have to search the pilot just to make sure that he doesn’t have any bombs on him or whatever that would take out the team.”
The team approached the pilot in a wedge formation, then made him stop a distance away while one Marine went forward to search him.
“Again, they don’t know who he is and they make him stop a distance away in case he has ordinance on him or a bomb,” Clark said. “If he detonates, he’ll only take out himself.”
After he is searched and the team is sure the pilot is a friendly, the team medic assesses him for injuries.
Suddenly, shots rang out from the left.
“It sounds we’ve got some company,” Clark said. “So it’s their job now to return fire to the enemy threat.”
As the Marines fired back, the team, along with the pilot, kept moving back “because they really don’t want to get into a firefight, because they’re really not equipped to sustain a long fight,” he said. “They want to get in here, get the guy out.”
The team called in air support to distract whoever was shooting at them.
Finally, the Blackhawk returned and picked up the team and the downed pilot.
After the exercise, the Blackhawk landed. Boss Lift participants got the opportunity to check out the helicopter and pose for photos, as well as talking with the Marines from the recon team.
Some also got to fire the M4 rifles, loaded with blanks.
Staff Sgt. Juan Espinoza from the New Mexico National Guard shows Clarissa Gonzalez of Roswell how to aim an M-16 rifle at the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Boss Lift 2010 at Melrose Air Force Range May 1. Espinoza was part of team of four Soldiers that demonstrated a helicopter air assault and simulated pilot rescue for spectators.
(U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Stephanie Strine)
After the exercise, bosses and National Guard participants returned to the range headquarters where all were treated to lunch.