Southern Strike 15 Continues on the Gulf Coast

A battle is going on right here on the Coast. The forces of Rebelania and the People’s Bayou Republic have been locked in a struggle for the neutral territory, Crimsonia.

Local forces from Keesler Air Force Base are helping with supplies and transport. This is a fictional conflict, made up for Southern Strike 15, but the training is real. War games like Southern Strike help military branches practice working together to make sure every second counts. Major William Miller, Mission Aircraft Commander for the 815th, or the Flying Jennies, says, "It’s a chance for us to train like we fight. We’re out there tonight supporting the 106th on a mission. We dropped some equipment and personnel in support of their overall objective."

Major Miller is a member of the 815th Airlift Squadron, also known as the Flying Jennies, stationed at Keesler. They were integral to this mission, just as they have been in live combat, as recently as last year. Miller also says, "We’re a tactical airlift unit. We supply the beans and bullets to the troopers, we haul cargo, move people, air drop it into combat."

The mission was to air drop 25 paratroopers and critical supplies behind enemy lines, a task that would be difficult if the different squadrons weren’t on the same page. Miller also says, "It starts in the planning phase. This mission has been in the works for a couple weeks. The planning and execution phase started on Monday when everyone arrived, and then tonight was the culmination of that planning."

After weeks of planning and days of preparation, it’s great to come home after a successful mission. Miller also says, "Overall, I would say the mission was a success. You know, a lot of these missions are not about what you see that goes well, it’s about what goes wrong and what you can learn about it to take forward into the future."

War games help iron out these mistakes in practice so they don’t happen in combat. They also bolster relationships between squads. Miller closes, "Working with these guys, it’s a pleasure. It’s good to work with other units and experience new things like this, and again, take that forward into a combat scenario."

Southern Strike will continue for the next couple of weeks on the Gulf Coast. Waveland residents can expect to hear gunfire on Halloween night as part of a live fire exercise and should not be alarmed.