Pacific Air Commandos travel to Australia to exercise military commitment, alliance

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Marilyn Holliday
  • 353rd Special Operations Group Public Affairs
TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA --  The 353rd Special Operations Group demonstrated its commitment to regional security and the military's alliance with Australian forces during Talisman Saber 2007.

The exercise is conducted every two years and is a series of exercises designed to train Australian and U.S. forces, all the while improving combat readiness and interoperability.

"All of our exercises are a key component of our operational readiness," Lt. Col. Paul Donovan, 353rd SOG mission commander for the exercise, said. "The exercises provide an opportunity to practice working together in a combined and joint environment, test interoperability and to refine procedures and doctrine."

Talisman Saber focuses on operational level warfighting with training based on fictional scenarios that vary according to location between ground, air and marine activities in conjunction with simulated exercises. The fictional scenarios are designed to bring the different branches of the Australian and the U.S. military together in a combined joint environment.

About 200 people from the group deployed as part of the 20,000 members participating in the exercise. Group members are working together with their Australian counterparts for cargo air drops, security practices, air traffic control tower duties and flying operations.

"The purpose of TS07 is to train the U.S. and Australian Combined Task Force and the operations staff in crisis action planning for contingency operations execution," Colonel Donovan, said.

This is the second time Talisman Saber has been conducted, it was previously held in 2005. Talisman Saber merges the previous exercises of Tandem Thrust and Crocodile into one biennial, joint, combined exercise between U.S. and Australian forces.