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Seventeenth Air Force (Air Forces Africa) puts a strong emphasis on building relationships between the U.S. military and African nations.
Flintlock 10, a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored exercise running through Sunday, does just that. Air Forces Africa has partnered again with the 86th Airlift Wing to do their part to make Flintlock 10 successful.
The exercise is conducted by Special Operations Command Africa’s Joint Special Operations Task Force — Trans Sahara, focusing on military interoperability and capacity-building.
Centered in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, the exercise involves tactical training conducted in Senegal, Mali, Mauritania and Nigeria. Approximately 1,200 European, African Partner Nation and U.S. participants from 14 nations are involved in military interoperability activities across the trans-Saharan region during this event, making airlift a priority.
“Flintlock 10 is a multi-national exercise designed to enhance Special Operations Forces capabilities within trans-Saharan partner nations and develop relationships that will be beneficial to all nations in the region,” said Maj. Mark Oberson, 37th Air Squadron assistant director of operations.
Two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 86th Airlift Wing here flew to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to play a role in personnel movement and enabled the exercise to happen as planned. The aircraft have airlifted participants from different countries to work together at multiple exercise locations.
“The 130s are making this exercise happen,” Maj. Tankersley said. “If we were without them, the exercise would be sequestered and not interrelated. Now with the transfer and flying capability, participants can travel from one country to another to train.”
The 17th AF provided coordination for the airlift, and movement of participants and cargo.
“We (at 17th AF) requested the forces from the 86th Airlift Wing and they delivered,” said Maj. Randle Tankersley, 17th AF Plans and Operations. “We are helping out with the deployment of different countries and getting them to their different locations. This is a big task because of the number of different countries participating.”
Participation in the exercise marks the first deployment for U.S. Europe Command’s C-130Js, Major Tankersley explained. The Air Force is used to deploying and redeploying, but this is the first time their C130Js have been deployed for an exercise on the continent.
“The 86th Airlift Wing is doing a lot of heavy lifting by moving the SOF
personnel and equipment in and out of the exercise area and keeping the
operation on schedule,” said Maj. Mark Oberson, 37th AS DOM.
“Flintlock is our first opportunity to employ the aircraft in an austere environment for significant durations. This is exactly what the C-130J was built to do and has proven it’s up to the task day after day thanks to the monumental efforts by members from the 86th Maintenance Group and 86th Operations Group to keep the planes moving.”
