Battlefield Airmen participate in Czech-British exercise 'Flying Rhino'

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SOUTH MOROVIA, Czech Republic -- --  More than 3,000 servicemembers from 10 different countries, including 22 U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Control Party Airmen and forward air controllers, gathered in the Czech Republic recently to participate in Flying Rhino 2010.

The three-week exercise that ended May 20, is a multinational, multi-service annual training event focused on allowing Soldiers and Airmen an opportunity to polish their joint duties, work through communication barriers and solidify their interoperability in preparation for eased working relations in environments such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

This was the first time students from the U.S. Air Ground Operations School at Ramstein were participating in the Czech-British exercise, which is now in its eighth year. It also marks the first time that the United States lead the classroom instruction element of the training. 

"I find it very, very important that we take advantage of every opportunity to train with the countries that provide the students," said Lt. Col. Allen Roberts, U. S. Air Forces in Europe AGOS commander. "And these large exercises that take place in Europe, we always want to take advantage of them whenever we possibly can."

Over the course of three weeks, participants received classroom instruction from U.S. Air Force TACPs on how to operate communication field equipment and the importance of Joint Fire Observer integration. They learned different techniques from the TACPs in the classroom and then took what they learned and applied it in the field

"Having those jets up in the air, you call the bombs in, bomb hits the target, big explosion, everyone is happy," said Senior Airman Justin Fuchs, an AGOS TACP student, about his job.

British FAC Nick Williams thinks training with the different forces is very beneficial.

"Personally I think it is very important because of what we found out in OEF and ISAF missions such as Afghanistan," he said. "We are working together more and more, so it's a good time for integration at an early stage."

"Our hosts here in the Czech Republic along with the British have been nothing but hospitable to us," said Colonel Roberts. "The training we're receiving in the different locations has been absolutely phenomenal. We definitely appreciate it because it gives reality to the training and provides synergy among all the nations that we not only train, but that we work with downrange."

Other participating countries include Germany, Italy, Denmark, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia.

The home base for the exercise was the 22nd Air Base at Namest nad Oslavou.