NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. – Eighty-five Defenders from across the Air Force sharpened their combat edge during Red Flag-Nellis 25-3, held July 21–31.
Red Flag-Nellis is a large force, full mission profile exercise that provides realistic and relevant combat training through advanced, integrated warfighting in a contested, degraded, and operationally limited environment.
The event marked the culmination of a key phase of the Security Forces Exercise Integration Initiative, a strategic effort to enhance readiness and interoperability with mission partners by incorporating combat support operations into joint-force exercises. The initiative also supported the capstone for the Security Forces Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, or SF WTIC, reinforcing the Air Force’s commitment to sharpening readiness and lethality across the force.
Led by the Air Force Security Forces Center and SF WTIC cadre, the training emphasized doctrinal tactics, mission partner integration, and real-world scenarios that mirror the complexities of modern warfare. Participants operated under mission type orders, executing a 72-hour defense of a command and control asset with minimal resources, an approach that reinforced adaptability and decisive action.
“Overall, everything we received was vital to understanding how to be successful in these environments for distributed operations,” said Tech. Sgt. Niko Valdez, an exercise participant from the 75th Security Forces Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. “The short timeline to absorb and apply these lessons was challenging.”
Key assessments included:
- Basic weapons employment to reinforce marksmanship fundamentals and small unit tactics.
- Small unmanned aircraft system employment to integrate emerging technologies into defense strategies.
- Primary, alternate, contingency and emergency, or PACE, communications planning for degraded environments.
- Withdrawal plan execution under dynamic threat conditions.
- Fire and maneuver fundamentals to master core warfighting principles.
The austere training environment, designed to simulate real-world resource constraints, successfully forged resilient Airmen grounded in foundational tactics. Granting junior NCOs and CGOs tactical autonomy effectively validated Mission Command principles under pressure, fostering agile and decisive leadership.
“I feel like this was the best training experience I have received since the old Commando Warrior days,” said Tech. Sgt. Evan Gillies, an exercise participant from the 75th SFS. “We all feel focused on where the future is headed for security forces and what we can do to get there now.”
The Air Force Security Forces are aligning Force Development with the demands of modern warfare, ensuring Airmen possess the operational competencies necessary to outperform adversaries, an effort that directly coincides with the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force’s focus.
Beyond tactical proficiency, the exercise aimed to foster innovation, strengthen resilience, and build collaborative teams capable of responding to dynamic operational environments. By prioritizing mission effectiveness over job titles, the Air Force continues to develop a lethal, agile force ready to defend national interests anytime, anywhere.