1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:07,289 --> 00:00:09,400 The one thing we can count on is that 3 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,420 the nature of warfare is always 4 00:00:11,430 --> 00:00:13,729 changing . These changes are often 5 00:00:13,739 --> 00:00:15,989 driven by technological advancements . 6 00:00:16,299 --> 00:00:18,521 And with the pace of technology today , 7 00:00:18,521 --> 00:00:20,355 we find ourselves operating in a 8 00:00:20,355 --> 00:00:22,399 dynamic environment with rapidly 9 00:00:22,409 --> 00:00:25,389 evolving challenges for us to adapt to 10 00:00:25,399 --> 00:00:27,510 this environment . We must change the 11 00:00:27,510 --> 00:00:29,677 way we think , how we train and how we 12 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,270 fight , which brings us to agile combat . 13 00:00:32,279 --> 00:00:34,549 Employment . Air Force doctrine 14 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,169 describes agile combat employment as a 15 00:00:37,180 --> 00:00:39,549 proactive and reactive operational 16 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:41,504 scheme of maneuver executed within 17 00:00:41,504 --> 00:00:43,430 threat , timelines to increase 18 00:00:43,439 --> 00:00:45,709 survivability while generating combat 19 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:47,720 power . If our adversaries find the 20 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:49,887 locations where we're operating from , 21 00:00:49,887 --> 00:00:52,053 they will strike them . So the goal is 22 00:00:52,053 --> 00:00:54,290 to set up , conduct operations quickly 23 00:00:54,459 --> 00:00:56,570 and then pack up and move before that 24 00:00:56,570 --> 00:00:58,792 location can be targeted . It's getting 25 00:00:58,792 --> 00:01:01,290 away from using main operating bases . 26 00:01:01,369 --> 00:01:03,591 We have to figure out how to operate at 27 00:01:03,591 --> 00:01:05,730 new locations where we don't have as 28 00:01:05,739 --> 00:01:07,949 much infrastructure already in place . 29 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,209 So it may be a civil airport or it may 30 00:01:10,220 --> 00:01:12,331 be a partner nation base or it may be 31 00:01:12,331 --> 00:01:14,442 an air strip that's made on a highway 32 00:01:14,442 --> 00:01:16,664 when you get to your location and maybe 33 00:01:16,664 --> 00:01:18,498 some of the supplies that you're 34 00:01:18,498 --> 00:01:20,664 expecting to be there , aren't there ? 35 00:01:20,664 --> 00:01:22,720 How are you going to operate without 36 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:24,664 some things ? Let's look at a real 37 00:01:24,664 --> 00:01:26,831 world example of what ace looks like . 38 00:01:26,831 --> 00:01:28,942 Suppose there's a crisis in the South 39 00:01:28,942 --> 00:01:30,831 Pacific and the commander of Indo 40 00:01:30,831 --> 00:01:32,998 Paycom needs more air force support to 41 00:01:32,998 --> 00:01:35,053 respond to the crisis . The pack , a 42 00:01:35,053 --> 00:01:37,276 commander directs the deploying fighter 43 00:01:37,276 --> 00:01:39,331 wing to move to Anderson Air Base in 44 00:01:39,331 --> 00:01:41,331 Guam . However , Guam is a long way 45 00:01:41,331 --> 00:01:43,498 from the crisis and the jets can't fly 46 00:01:43,498 --> 00:01:43,120 that far without a lot of refueling 47 00:01:43,129 --> 00:01:44,980 support . So the PAC A commander 48 00:01:44,989 --> 00:01:46,933 directs the wing to forward deploy 49 00:01:46,933 --> 00:01:49,100 again to an airbase in another country 50 00:01:49,100 --> 00:01:51,211 like the Philippines . Now , the wing 51 00:01:51,211 --> 00:01:53,433 is closer to the action . But the PAC A 52 00:01:53,433 --> 00:01:55,656 commander needs to establish a presence 53 00:01:55,656 --> 00:01:55,580 further to the south to conduct an 54 00:01:55,589 --> 00:01:57,769 operation and also needs fighters in a 55 00:01:57,779 --> 00:01:59,501 country in Southeast Asia as a 56 00:01:59,501 --> 00:02:01,879 deterrence . Therefore , the PAC F 57 00:02:01,889 --> 00:02:04,269 commander directs the fire wing to send 58 00:02:04,279 --> 00:02:06,390 some airmen and aircraft to a partner 59 00:02:06,390 --> 00:02:08,446 nation airbase in Southeast Asia and 60 00:02:08,446 --> 00:02:10,446 another group to conduct operations 61 00:02:10,446 --> 00:02:12,612 from a civil airport on a small island 62 00:02:12,612 --> 00:02:14,759 further south , the commander also 63 00:02:14,770 --> 00:02:16,937 directs the airmen and aircraft on the 64 00:02:16,937 --> 00:02:18,992 island to only stay there for 2 to 3 65 00:02:18,992 --> 00:02:20,881 days and then they must move to a 66 00:02:20,881 --> 00:02:22,659 different island or back to the 67 00:02:22,659 --> 00:02:24,826 Philippines to conduct maintenance and 68 00:02:24,826 --> 00:02:26,826 resupply their force . The pack . A 69 00:02:26,826 --> 00:02:28,881 commander's plan to move the fighter 70 00:02:28,881 --> 00:02:30,992 wing between these locations is agile 71 00:02:30,992 --> 00:02:32,992 combat employment in practice . Now 72 00:02:32,992 --> 00:02:35,048 that we have a site picture on where 73 00:02:35,048 --> 00:02:37,270 we're going . Let's look at examples of 74 00:02:37,270 --> 00:02:39,326 how we're training and educating the 75 00:02:39,326 --> 00:02:41,910 force to employ ace trainees at basic 76 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:43,975 military training . Participate in a 77 00:02:43,975 --> 00:02:46,240 mock deployment exercise called Pacer 78 00:02:46,259 --> 00:02:48,559 Forge . When they get off the bus at 79 00:02:48,570 --> 00:02:50,949 the exercise location , the cadre lay 80 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,071 out the rules and assignments for the 81 00:02:53,071 --> 00:02:55,182 exercise . They have to set up a base 82 00:02:55,182 --> 00:02:57,349 with a security team , a public health 83 00:02:57,349 --> 00:02:59,516 team , a food team and a host of other 84 00:02:59,516 --> 00:03:01,830 teams and objectives . During the 85 00:03:01,839 --> 00:03:04,006 exercise , the instructors will inject 86 00:03:04,006 --> 00:03:06,117 problems or changes to the scenario . 87 00:03:06,710 --> 00:03:08,850 Examples might be the water supply is 88 00:03:08,860 --> 00:03:11,050 damaged , the food was compromised or 89 00:03:11,059 --> 00:03:13,170 opposition forces just attacked you . 90 00:03:13,619 --> 00:03:15,610 One of the injects often requires 91 00:03:15,619 --> 00:03:17,841 trainees to pack up the base , they set 92 00:03:17,841 --> 00:03:19,619 up and move everything to a new 93 00:03:19,630 --> 00:03:23,160 location . The exercise is designed to 94 00:03:23,169 --> 00:03:25,169 introduce trainees to concepts like 95 00:03:25,169 --> 00:03:27,320 agile combat , employment , mission , 96 00:03:27,330 --> 00:03:30,100 command and units of action . By the 97 00:03:30,110 --> 00:03:32,539 end of this 36 hour mock deployment , 98 00:03:32,550 --> 00:03:34,717 trainees are tired , they've been able 99 00:03:34,717 --> 00:03:36,994 to form together into productive teams . 100 00:03:36,994 --> 00:03:39,050 They've got hands on experience with 101 00:03:39,050 --> 00:03:40,828 Ace concepts and they're better 102 00:03:40,828 --> 00:03:42,883 prepared to move out and get the job 103 00:03:42,883 --> 00:03:44,939 done . Everybody likes to think that 104 00:03:44,939 --> 00:03:46,994 they're gonna rise to the occasion , 105 00:03:46,994 --> 00:03:49,106 but realistically , you're gonna fall 106 00:03:49,106 --> 00:03:51,272 back to your lowest form of training . 107 00:03:51,272 --> 00:03:53,529 So it's better to train for the hard 108 00:03:53,539 --> 00:03:57,080 moments now and not only train for the 109 00:03:57,089 --> 00:03:59,589 best case scenario but also know what 110 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,544 you're gonna do when everything is 111 00:04:01,544 --> 00:04:03,656 gonna go wrong because it's better to 112 00:04:03,656 --> 00:04:05,809 figure that out in training than to 113 00:04:05,820 --> 00:04:08,550 figure it out in the real world . Agile . 114 00:04:08,559 --> 00:04:10,960 Combat employment plays a critical role 115 00:04:10,970 --> 00:04:13,320 in our efforts to re optimize the force . 116 00:04:13,559 --> 00:04:15,669 We must challenge the way we think , 117 00:04:15,679 --> 00:04:18,119 train and execute our duties on a daily 118 00:04:18,130 --> 00:04:20,510 basis to achieve the mission readiness 119 00:04:20,519 --> 00:04:22,769 required to be successful in modern 120 00:04:22,779 --> 00:04:25,950 conflict . Success is the 121 00:04:25,959 --> 00:04:28,190 intersection of where all of your hard 122 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,209 work and training has met an 123 00:04:30,220 --> 00:04:32,331 opportunity . It's not something that 124 00:04:32,331 --> 00:04:34,664 you just get up and say , you know what , 125 00:04:34,664 --> 00:04:36,890 today I'm gonna be successful . It's 126 00:04:36,899 --> 00:04:39,559 today , I'm gonna get up and work hard . 127 00:04:39,570 --> 00:04:42,440 So when the time comes , I'll be ready . 128 00:04:42,540 --> 00:04:44,540 That's agile combat employment in a 129 00:04:44,540 --> 00:04:46,540 nutshell . Be sure to check out the 130 00:04:46,540 --> 00:04:48,651 videos on mission , command and units 131 00:04:48,651 --> 00:04:48,239 of action .