Large-scale military exercises across western US and eastern Pacific airspace to last until August 9
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – Santa Barbara County residents may notice an increase in military aircraft in the local airspace from Aug. 5 to Aug. 9 as part of military exercises coordinated among western United States military installations.
"The reason that they're at Santa Maria and the reason they're disaggregated or separated from that hub location is so that we as an Air Force can get after training to the national defense strategy," said Lt. Jimmy Cummings with Nellis Air Force Base.
"They fly really low over my house. There are times I barely clear my pine tree," said Susan Bryant from Orcutt.
Bamboo Eagle is an eight-day military exercise that began Aug. 2 and includes more than 3,000 service members from more than 20 units using over 150 aircraft across the western United States, designated sea and airspace in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and several "virtual and constructive components" explained the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center headquartered out of Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
"The increased aircraft right now is because of an exercise that we're doing starting at the warfare center level and basically what's happening is we have aircraft coming or going out to all sorts of different locations. Santa Maria being one of those," said Lt. Jimmy Cummings.
"Bamboo Eagle provides a combat representative environment," explained Major General Christopher J. Niemi, commander of the U. S. Air Force Warfare Center. "By honing our capabilities in dynamic and challenging environments, we strengthen our ability to deter aggression and safeguard our nation's interests."
According to the Warfare Center, integrating training in the eastern Pacific Ocean and associated airspace is intended to give personnel "combat representative training" related to a marine environment.
The exercise includes augmenting command and control efforts with the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force from multiple basing locations in the western United States detailed the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center.
"Developing people, generating readiness, projecting power and integrating capabilities allow the joint force to achieve a more competitive posture," said Brigadier General Gerald A. Donohue, Air Mobility Command’s director of operations, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration. "This exercise will provide an opportunity to test our ability to deploy rapidly and establish operations immediately upon reaching the theater in order to maneuver the joint force at speed, scale and mass."
