84th TES provides Total Force support throughout the Pacific
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. – During a series of test, exercise and flying operations across the Pacific, Reserve Airmen from the 84th Test and Evaluation Squadron contributed the experience and continuity needed to support missions both in theater and from their home station at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
The 84th TES conducts operational test and evaluation through Total Force Integration with the 53d Wing at Eglin AFB. From June 19 to July 17, members of the 84th TES integrated with the active duty 85th TES to support Valiant Shield 2026 near Guam, Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026 objectives near Japan and flying operations at Kadena Air Base, Japan.
Valiant Shield
Valiant Shield is a multinational, biennial field training exercise focused on integrating interoperability training in a multi-domain environment. During the exercise, a B-2 Spirit executed the first live-fire of three Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles against the decommissioned USS Juneau north of the Mariana Islands as part of a live-fire sinking exercise June 27.
Lt. Col. Jonathan O’Rear, 84th TES F-15C Eagle Operational Test and Evaluation instructor pilot and F-15C test director, piloted one of the F-15s serving as an armed safety-chase aircraft during the sinking exercise. He followed the missiles along their flight profile and was prepared to terminate the weapons if they deviated from their designated path or posed a danger to exercise participants.
“[This is] typically a qualification only contained in the test world for the U.S. Air Force,” O’Rear said. “The chase execution presented some new and exciting flight regimes that were challenging but very rewarding and taught me some new lessons.”
He also coordinated with Pacific Air Forces and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to ensure delivery timelines were met for crucial components of the exercise, including the live AIM-9X missiles required for the safety-chase aircraft in the exercise.
O’Rear said Master Sgt. Anthony Caruso, 84th TES maintainer, worked alongside the 96th Aircraft Maintenance Unit team after the missiles arrived less than 12 hours before mission execution. The maintenance team tested, sorted and loaded the weapons according to plan, preparing the chase aircraft for an early-morning takeoff within a compressed timeline.
Rim of the Pacific
During Exercise Rim of the Pacific and local flying operations at Kadena Air Base, the team supported long-range kill-chain objectives. Members from the 84th TES and 85th TES supported the 67th Fighter Squadron ensuring 18th Wing aircrew maintained flying currencies and operational readiness as they prepare to transition to their first F-15EX Eagle aircraft.
Having previously served at Kadena Air Base while on active duty, O’Rear used his familiarity with the region to help team members with limited Pacific experience operate from bases in Guam and Japan.
“A healthy contingency knowledge base is built over many years of flying, testing and maintaining, which is exactly what the 84th TES [members] excel in,” O’Rear said.
Total Force Integration Anytime, Anywhere
Executing the missions required support beyond the aircrews operating in the Pacific. From Eglin AFB, Tech. Sgt. Pamela Downs, the 84th TES squadron aviation resource management NCO in charge and NCOIC of training for the 85th TES SARM office, supported participating aircrews while continuing to manage home-station requirements.
Downs said the integration between the squadrons was evident among the deployed aircrews. “The 84th aircrew brought their experience directly into the cockpit and contributed to mission execution alongside the 85th,” Downs said.
Across a 14-hour time difference, Downs tracked the deployed flying schedule and ensured flight documentation, sorties and flying hours were accurately recorded as aircrews and aircraft from multiple organizations worked together. Her experience with the unit and its aircrews allowed her to anticipate requirements and address issues without constant direction from the deployed team.
“SARM can easily be viewed as an administrative function because much of our work happens behind the scenes,” Downs said. “In reality, you have to understand the operational mission, the aircrew, the flying schedule, training currencies, the flying hour program, and how all of those pieces affect one another.”
For Downs, the integration demonstrated how Reserve and active-duty Airmen could operate as one team. “It was a strong example of Total Force Integration, [demonstrating] how the Reserve and active-duty Airmen can operate together without the component being the focus,” Downs said. “The mission is the focus.”
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