Two B-52 Stratofortress bombers of the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron completed a long-range training sortie from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to Australia's Delamere Air Weapons Range in the Northern Territory Oct. 24.

This "Green Lightning" sortie is only the second of its kind, continuing a long standing and mutually beneficial program of combined training initiatives and exercises between the United States and Australia, said an Australian Defence Force media statement.

"Australia's alliance with the U.S. is based on shared values and a range of mutual strategic interests," said Diarmid Bartlett, of the Australian Defence Department's International Policy Division. "Training and exercising with the world's most technologically advanced armed forces provide many benefits to the Australian Defence Force which cannot be obtained through other means."

After departing Andersen AFB, the bombers both received 60,000 pounds of fuel from KC-135 Stratotankers of the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, said Capt. Roy Lohse, 36th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron mission planner. Once over the Delamere range, each aircraft dropped four BDU-50 inert bombs, and then returned back to Guam. The whole sortie covered approximately 4,500 nautical miles and spanned 11.5 hours of flight.

"This sortie was a great opportunity to illustrate Pacific Command's commitment to our allies in the western Pacific," said Capt. Andy Landwer, aircraft commander of the lead jet during Green Lightning. "For most of the aircrew, it was their first time over Australia. We don't usually get the chance to train over foreign soil. The experience gained was invaluable."

The inaugural Green Lightning sortie over Australia took place in July 2006 with B-2 Spirit aircraft. That mission involved weapons training and an engine-running crew change at Royal Australian Air Force Darwin.

The continuous bomber presence on Guam supports the base's mission to enhance regional security, demonstrate United States' commitment to the Western Pacific and provide integrated training opportunities like Green Lightning. The 23rd EBS deployed from Minot AFB, N.D. and is the fifth heavy bomber unit to support this mission since its inception in 2004. [ANN Salutes Staff Sgt. Eric Petosky, 13th Air Force Public Affairs]

FMI: www.af.mil