NATO team trains at NAS Jax

Also participating in the exercise are the NAS Jax based squadrons, the HS-15 "Red Lions" and VS-22 "Checkmates."

The component is comprised of military members from 15 NATO nations, all working together to provide airborne surveillance, command, control and communication for NATO operations around the world. They are homebased in Geilenkirchen, Germany.

"Our mission is to support the carrier with their flying operations. With our AWACS, we can provide the carrier battle group with a big picture of air surveillance while they conduct their operations. In turn, we are also getting control training with the large fighter aircraft units on board the ship," said Lt. Col. Jim Schouman of the Dutch Air Force and mission commander.

Senior Master Sgt. Dieter Schoel, a crew chief for the NATO E-3A Component gives a thumbs-up sending the aircrew on it's way.

"We are a multi-national force. We are part of NATO reaction forces so we can go anywhere at anytime on short notice. We work with many different countries' air forces and navies. We like to train with a big array of everything that's available," continued Schouman. "This month we are training on U.S. Navy procedures, next month we will do a red flag exercise conducting Air Force procedures. Every year, we create an exercise schedule with the different aspects of air warfare and are often invited to help out other elements with training missions."

Daily missions average about 10 hours in the air. "When we get in the air the flight deck takes us to a location where they start flying in small circles or in a race track formation, staying in a pattern," Schouman explained.

"At the same time, we turn the radar on and cover the area to see what's flying around us or sailing on the water. Then we use our radios or data links to transmit the information to the ship. We are in constant communication with the ship so they are aware of what's in their environment at all times."

Lt. Col. Jim Schouman of the NATO E-3A Component and a member of the Dutch Air Force, gives an interview to local media about the component's mission while at NAS Jacksonville.

The E-3A aircraft the component flies is a modified Boeing 707-320C, and has a crew of 17. "We can take up to 29 people on a flight and often have students and instructors on board," said Schouman.

For one American officer attached to the component, Air Force Capt. Mike Neitzel, a weapon's controller, this is the ideal job. "I really love my job. This is one of our ideal assignments - being stationed with NATO. We have a different crew composition of military members from various countries for every flight. We are very integrated. There are a lot of challenges because of the language barriers and the way we do business, but we get together and talk about it and get the mission done," he said.

"Our job is basically to paint a picture of where the bad guys are. We can see everything within a 250-mile radius and can monitor the skies and provide time sensitive targeting. We also have the ability to look at surface tracks such as boats and through our assets can interrogate their mode of operation and codes to determine if they are a threat so we can get an asset there to stop them," Neitzel added.

In the past, the component used NS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico as their homebase during this type of mission.

"We've been supporting U.S. carrier air groups since the mid-90s. Since Roosevelt Roads has closed, we decided to conduct our operations from NAS Jacksonville. There is a big airfield here, the operational area provides us with sufficient space and we have great support from the base," said Schouman.

"We would like to thank everyone at NAS Jacksonville for hosting us. When people find out we're a NATO group, they always make us feel very welcome. NAS Jacksonville is an ideal place to work out of."