Cope North joint formation flies over Guam
Cope North 09-1
Cope North 09-1
Cope North 09-1
Cope North 09-1
Cope North 09-1
A B-52 Stratofortress currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, leads a formation Feb. 10 of Japanese Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan over Guam during Cope North 09-1 at Andersen Air Force Base from Feb. 2-13 The Cope North exercise is one of the longest-running series of exercises in the Pacific theater. Since the first Cope North exercise in 1978, thousands of American and Japanese personnel have honed skills that are vital to maintaining a high level of readiness. This will be the tenth time the United States and Japan have held a Cope North exercise on Guam, and it will be the fourth time that the JASDF will use live ordnance. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
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E-mail a friendA B-52 Stratofortress currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, leads a formation Feb. 10 of Japanese Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan over Guam during Cope North 09-1 at Andersen Air Force Base from Feb. 2-13. The Cope North exercise is one of the longest-running series of exercises in the Pacific theater. Since the first Cope North exercise in 1978, thousands of American and Japanese personnel have honed skills that are vital to maintaining a high level of readiness. This will be the tenth time the United States and Japan have held a Cope North exercise on Guam, and it will be the fourth time that the JASDF will use live ordnance. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
Download Full Image |
E-mail a friendA B-52 Stratofortress currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, leads a formation Feb. 10 of Japanese Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan over Guam during Cope North 09-1 at Andersen Air Force Base from Feb 2-13. Cope North 09-1 is the first iteration of a regularly scheduled joint and bilateral exercise and is part of the on-going series of exercises designed to enhance air operations in defense of Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
Download Full Image |
E-mail a friendA B-52 Stratofortress currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, leads a formation Feb. 10 of USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and a Navy EA-6B Prowler from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan over Guam during Cope North 09-1 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam from Feb. 2-13. The Cope North exercise is one of the longest-running series of exercises in the Pacific theater. Since the first Cope North exercise in 1978, thousands of American and Japanese personnel have honed skills that are vital to maintaining a high level of readiness. This will be the tenth time the United States and Japan have held a Cope North exercise on Guam, and it will be the fourth time that the JASDF will use live ordnance. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) released
Download Full Image |
E-mail a friend A B-52 Stratofortress currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, leads a formation Feb. 10 of Japanese Air Self Defense Force F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Navy EA-6B Prowlers from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan over Guam during Cope North 09-1 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam from Feb. 2-13. Cope North 09-1 is the first iteration of a regularly scheduled joint and bilateral exercise and is part of the on-going series of exercises designed to enhance air operations in defense of Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald) (
ed: as captioned here, where there are more photos from the exercise.
Click the pic for the high-res version.)
The USAF, USN, and elements of the Japanese Self Defense Forces wrapped up Cope North 09-1 last week at Andersen AFB, Guam. Some quick facts about the exercise:The Cope North exercise is one of the longest-running series of exercises in the Pacific theater. Since the first Cope North exercise in 1978, thousands of American and Japanese personnel have honed skills that are vital to maintaining a high level of readiness. The exercise has been in the planning stages for several months and bears no connection to any real-world events. This will be the tenth time the United States and Japan have held a Cope North exercise on Guam, and it will be the fourth time that the JASDF will use live ordinance.Cope North 09-1 is the first iteration of a regularly scheduled joint and bilateral exercise and is part of the on-going series of exercises designed to enhance air operations in defense of Japan.
JASDF F-2s from the 6th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, and E-2Cs from the 601st Squadron, Misawa Air Base, will join forward deployed USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, B-52 Stratofortress' currently deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, and Navy EA-6B from VAQ-136 Carrier Air Wing Five, Atsugi, Japan, will participate in this year's exercise with a focus on interoperability.
I found it interesting that the JASDF is prohibited from using live ordnance while training at home, i.e., in Japan. I'm also tempted to make some snarky comments about how certain elements in American society wouldn't mind the same sorts of restrictions being placed on our military... but I won't. Much more on Cope North 09-1 here... with more photos and video, too.
Apropos of nothing... I spent about a year on Guam during one week back in 1976. I hear Andersen is a good assignment for folks serving accompanied tours... which is to say with the family. I was single during my one-week TDY to Guam and the social options were rather limited, the weather was HOT, and the humidity was unbearable. It didn't help that I spent most of my working hours engaged in hard physical labor inside the radome of an AN/FPS-60 series radar... where the environmental conditions were abysmal... to say the VERY least. A very nasty experience, overall.
From what I've heard, both Hickam and Andersen are acquired tastes...you're on a tropical island, but then six months into your tour you realize that you're in fact STILL on a tropical island. Some people can dig that, me...not so much. This is more so true for Andersen than Hickam; I assume you've heard the acronym for Guam...Give Up And Mast...
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned Guam, and now I have a twitch in my right eye.
ReplyDeleteDuring Western Pacific deployments, every submarine I served on would stop in Guam for a maintenance period with the tender. Usually for three weeks at a shot. Hot and humid doesn't begin to describe the place. Usually sailors love to be in port, but most of us couldn't wait to go back to sea. Not that we had much time off, but there wasn't much to do when we were on liberty. It usually involved drinking heavily at the barracks.
Spent 4 years stationed at Pearl Harbor, and Mike is right, it's an acquired taste. I made the best of it, but I didn't think twice about returning to the Continental U.S. when the chance was offered.
Mike sez: I assume you've heard the acronym for Guam...Give Up And Mast...
ReplyDeleteHeard it? I think either My Buddy Ed in Florida or myself coined it! ;-)
Prolly not, tho... But I hear ya about Guam and Hawaii, too. Not MY cuppa...
BR sez: It usually involved drinking heavily at the barracks.
I have a story in that space, involving a platoon of Marines billeted down the way and below where my buds and I were staying (in transient quarters). The Readers Digest version: eventually someone called the Skycops when furniture and bodies started getting broken. Memorable quote of the evening, from some unidentified Marine: "YOU SH!T IN MY BED!! #!!%%*&!... I'M GONNA F'IN KILL YOU!" The cops arrived shortly after that. ;-)
But, we digress. Guam DOES suck... and mightily.
If I never see Asia again, it will be ok.
ReplyDeleteI never did make it to Thailand, so we'll have to see. But I stand by the first sentence.
In the "trivia you really didn't need to know" dept...I know the guy that took the pictures. MSgt Gruenwald was a TSgt when I worked with him in Vegas shooting some "Joint/Coalition" Red Flag spreads that featured, amongst others, one of my maintainers. As you can see, he does good work!
ReplyDeleteMy .02$
SN1
DC sez: I never did make it to Thailand, so we'll have to see.
ReplyDeleteYou missed out. Srsly. Of ALL the TDYs I had during my career, Thailand was the very best. I'd go back in a heartbeat. If I had a current passport and my 401(k) wasn't in a shambles, that is.
Buck: Small world, eh? Thanks for that.
And I almost forgot about the herds of water buffalo. Large piles of crap everywhere...
ReplyDeleteA group of us were out for a run on the Naval Magazine one evening when we stirred up a few buffalo that had a youngun' or two with them. A few hair raising moments.
I wasn't the slowest guy in the group, so I was fairly certain I was safe.
I'm with Barco...if I never see Asia again, I won't shed a tear. Though I did enjoy our trips to Hong Kong, and I wouldn't say no to another stay in Thailand, if it were within the realm of possibility.
Some of the old-timers at church tell me Guam was no fun during WWII either - smell of charred Japs you know.
ReplyDeleteBR: I'd heard of the water buffs... but never saw 'em. And there are several places in Asia I'd re-visit, if'n it was in the realm of possibility.
ReplyDeleteBob: War is always Hell, but I imagine it was more hellish than normal on Guam.