LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 47th Flying Training Wing (FTW) conducted a Combat Readiness Exercise (CRE) June 26-27, 2025 to validate Primary, Alternate, Contingency and Emergency (PACE) plans across the wing in a degraded environment scenario.
Units tested PACE plans across operations, mission support, medical, maintenance and wing staff agencies, to demonstrate the wing’s readiness during a situation where key personnel were unavailable and critical operating systems were lost.
“The purpose of this exercise is to validate the team’s response to the complete loss of primary systems we use on a daily basis,” said Col. Tyler Ellison, 47th FTW commander. “In the event of a contingency situation, Laughlin’s mission must continue with the possibility of increased demand of graduating more pilots to fulfill requirements associated with a National Defense response.”
The exercise scenario facilitated a simulated deployment of key personnel, a tabletop exercise, and live fly scenarios culminating with full-rate pilot training under Uncontrolled Airfield Operations (UAO).
“The injects of this exercise focused on a deliberate escalation in the loss of capabilities in a controlled environment to measure our resiliency as a force,” said Lt. Col. Nathan Hedden, 47th FTW inspector general.
The tabletop portion of the exercise featured a free flow discussion of wing functions impacted by compounding injects, allowing exercise participants to explain how the wing would continue to produce pilots to meet Combatant Commander requirements in the event of a global conflict.
“In an event there was a loss of some or all of our Air Traffic Control services, our team would execute their PACE Plan, and until you practice it, you don’t know if it’s going to work,” said Col. Joseph McCane, 47th Operations Group (OG) commander.
The 47th OG validated tower controller’s ability to operate from a Remote Supervisory Unit (RSU) facility followed by Uncontrolled Airfield Operations, where both T-6s and T-38s operated inside tower’s airspace without communication with Laughlin’s tower controllers.
“There was no decrease in the number of sorties executed during the Uncontrolled Airfield Operations period, the T-6 squadrons executed 46 syllabus advancing sorties, and the T-38 squadron executed 20,” said Maj. Neal Molzon, 47th OG chief of training.
Results from the exercise demonstrated the Wing’s PACE Plan and ability to continue operations during the loss of critical capabilities.
“Overall, the exercise proved valuable in exercising continuity of operations across the spectrum of complex scenarios. The lessons learned from the tower evacuation and alternate location scenario are being implemented at this time,” continued Molzon.
Uncontrol Airfield Operations validated critical capabilities and provided a unique training opportunity for the Wing’s aviators. Operating in a degraded environment without tower controllers allowed our pilots to increase their airmanship skills by building situational awareness and managing risk at the tactical level.
“Uncontrolled Airfield Operations is not simple, but it is very manageable with the right procedures and training - we can do this and do it safely. In a degraded environment, this is how we will keep operations running,” said McCane.