MELROSE AIR FORCE RANGE, N.M. -- U.S. Air Force and Army services members assigned to four different Air Force Special Operations Command bases conducted the third iteration of Team Cannon’s Coyote Dicer multilateral combat exercise here from May 16 to 20, 2022.
The training exercise involved Airmen from the 27th Special Operations Wing, 58th Special Operations Wing, 919th Special Operations Wing, and U.S. Army Green Berets of the 7th Special Forces Group attending a course hosted by the 24th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Coyote Dicer trains and prepares AFSOC members for kinetic strike and direct action operations by conducting realistic large-scale combat scenarios, integrating multiple air and ground entities.
“Over the last three iterations, Coyote Dicer has grown to allow a multitude of training events that facilitates for all players,” said Capt. Zachary, exercise coordinator assigned to the 27th Special Operations Group. “The first iteration of the exercise started out with a couple of MQ-9 Reapers and a small ground team, and now we’ve grown to have support from AC-130J Ghostriders, MC-130J Commando IIs, HH-60 Pave Hawks, CV-22 Ospreys, U-28 Dracos, and Green Berets.”
U.S. Army Green Berets augmented ground forces, training members of the 27th Special Operations Security Forces Squadron Deployed Aircraft Ground Response Element and the 919th Special Operations Security Forces Squadron DAGRE team. DAGRE then trained members of the 27th Special Operations Mission Support Group's Mission Sustainment Teams as well as simulated partner nation forces roleplayed by 27 SOW volunteers. Together, the integrated ground force tested base defense operations against hostile actors from the 27th Special Operations Support Squadron opposing force team.
“The MST performed admirably,” said Tech. Sgt. Robert Hile, 27th Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance craftsman and MST operations superintendent. “We integrated with the DAGRE and 7 SFG Green Berets to build out our element and allow our team to maneuver and train the protection ability of our joint warfighting principles.”
MST Airmen built a self-sufficient forward operating base, which enabled Coyote Dicer participants to execute more than a dozen combat scenarios while camped at Melrose Air Force Range. Additionally, for the first time in AFSOC, aircrew and maintainers successfully integrated JUMP 20, an unmanned aerial vehicle, field operations with the 9th Special Operations Squadron. Airmen utilized the austere environment cargo capabilities of the MC-130J Commando II in order to unload, assemble and launch a complete JUMP 20 support package, from touching down on the dirt runway to UAV flight, in a matter of hours.
Mission planning and integration between dissimilar AFSOC airframes and ground force personnel from several units furthered joint operation capabilities for current and future conflict, while enhancing integration between various units. Exercise Coyote Dicer will continue to grow and expand enhancing AFSOC specialized air power.