Gamblers begin Red Flag exercise

Published July 14, 2009
By 2nd Lt. Emily Chilson
Red Flag Public Affairs

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Shaw Air Force Base's 77th Fighter Squadron "Gamblers" deployed to Nellis as one of nine units participating in Red Flag 09-4.

Colonel Dean Anderson, 20th Fighter Wing vice commander, is the Red Flag Air Expeditionary Wing commander.

Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies. The exercise is conducted on the 15,000-square-mile Nevada Test and Training Range, north of Las Vegas.

Red Flag is one of a series of advanced training programs administered by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center and Nellis, through the 414th Combat Training Squadron. Flying for Red Flag 09-4 began Monday and ends July 24.

About 50 aircraft depart Nellis at 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and at 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. each day. Some aircraft can remain in the air for up to four hours.

U.S. aircraft are also from Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, the United Kingdom, Virginia and Washington. Aircraft types include F-15s, F-16s, E-3s and KC-135s. In addition to U.S. aircraft, the Israeli Air Force is flying F-16C Falcons.

For a complete list of participating aircraft for the exercise, visit http://www.nellis.af.mil/library/flyingoperations.asp . For more information about Red Flag, call the Nellis Public Affairs Office at 702-652-2750.