Fort Meade, MD --
Ranges allow Airmen to train like they fight, so they fight like they train
Air Force ranges provide relevant and realistic training to air and ground forces to prepare for combat and contingency operations around the globe.
These ranges are where many pilots, joint terminal attack controllers and other operational personnel cut their teeth or sharpen their skills through mass exercises, joint training and routine readiness requirements. The education gained on these large swaths of land and air translates directly to scenarios encountered downrange.
“So, there we were, full package going across day one of Desert Storm … and then we hear on the radio, splash, MIG-29,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein. “Because I was far enough forward in the formation, I see an aircraft hit the ground and explode. And I remember that moment in my cockpit like it was yesterday, because, all of a sudden, I realized none of this was new — I actually had been in this environment before, this exact environment before … I’d done all of this before at Red Flag just months prior.”
Air Force ranges are vital to creating and maintaining a lethal force capable of rapidly adapting to meet national defense needs.