An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : Media : News : News Article View
NEWS | March 2, 2020

US Air Force Academy Grad Enhanced Interoperability at COPE North 20

By Lt. Col Tamara Fischer-Carter 36th Wing Public Affairs

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- U.A. Air Force 2d Lt Megan Barrick is one of the approximately 2,000 military personnel that honed their skills to increase combat readiness and interoperability during the annual trilateral field training exercise of COPE NORTH 2020, Feb.12-28. Barrick is a Materiel Flight Commander for the 36th Munitions Squadron (MUNS) at Andersen AFB, Guam.

Barrick is charged with leading over 80 Airmen in their every-day operations involved with munitions.

“My days consist of mentoring airmen and handling administrative duties,” Barrick said. “Essentially, I am here to make my airmen’s lives easier, while making sure we can still accomplish the mission.”

This selfless service and camaraderie is something she learned while at the United States Air Force Academy. She is a 2018 graduate of Cadet Squadron 39 and competed on the Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teams while there. She says her biggest take away from the Academy was learning how to deal with people and working with people from across various backgrounds.

More than 100 aircraft flew over and around Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia as US forces, Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self-Defense Force) and the Royal Australian Air Force collaborated during the exercise.

“COPE North is a busy time of year not only for the flightline but for 36 MUNS as well,” said Barrick. “We are supporting and embedding eight different units from across the US Air Force, US Navy (USN), US Marine Corps (USMC), and foreign services (Korea, Japan, and Australia).”

Each unit brings personnel with them who work out of MUNS, so there are a lot of moving pieces.

“Within my day-to-day job, I am in charge of the materiel side of the house which means storing, accounting, inspecting and handling all of the munitions that come in and out of the Munitions Storage Area (MSA).”

Andersen’s stockpile is currently worth $1.7 billion, and is also a strong contributing factor as to why Andersen is such an ideal staging ground for COPE North.

“The visiting USAF units essentially request to use our munitions to support their training,” Barrick said. “The other visiting units (USN, USMC, foreign services) also bring their own munitions. We help them store their assets and provide them the tools and facilities to do what they need to do.”

Not only are there a multitude of members from various units, there are a lot of munitions moving, from chaff and flare to bombs and missiles. Teams faced various challenges during the 17-day event by focusing on integrating and refining best practices for coordinating combined air tactics, techniques and procedures.

She highlights that each unit brings with them a different perspective and insight.

“Because Andersen does not have permanently assigned aircraft, a lot of my airmen do not get much interaction with a flightline or supporting aircraft,” said Barrick. “Through this, they are able to see what the majority of their career field does. Not only that, but it is not a common opportunity to see fighters, bombers, and foreign units all working together from one staging ground. So not only does this exercise give my airmen a chance to interact with people across their career field from different missions, but they also get to interact with other branches and foreign services who run operations differently than we do.”

The first COPE North took place in 1978 and has become a long-standing exercise designed to strengthen relationships in the Indo-Pacific region through air operations, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief training to enhance interoperability.

“While it is busy, I really do enjoy the unique opportunity that COPE North brings.” Barrick added, “Naturally, we are here to support the flight line and the interoperability between services and countries, but there are many more benefits to this massive operation.”
CONNECT WITH USINDOPACOM
Facebook

Like Us
X
363,201
Follow Us

ENGAGE & CONNECT MORE WITH PACOM

                                                 

IN THE USINDOPACOM NEWS
Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With President Wesley Simina of the Federated States of Micronesia
Graphic intended for use as a placeholder for Statements and Press Releases without accompanying imagery.
March 22, 2024 - Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout...

AUKUS Trilateral Statement
Graphic intended for use as a placeholder for Statements and Press Releases without accompanying imagery.
March 22, 2024 - The Honourable Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Australia; the Right Honourable Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom; and Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense,...

U.S., India launch Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH 2024
Courtesy Photo
March 21, 2024 - Indian and U.S. combined armed forces began Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH 2024 with the arrival of amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25), March 18 and an opening ceremony March 19.This is the third time U.S. and...

USACE: Ensuring Safety Every Step of the Way
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) is the premier Department of Defense (DoD) military construction (MILCON) agent in the Pacific, providing facilities-related design and construction work in Japan for all military services and agencies. With over 60 years of experience in designing and constructing facilities in Japan, JED possesses the experience in Japanese standards and specifications, regulations, construction practices, maintenance requirements, and culture needed to ensure facilities are built with the utmost safety and professionalism. Photo by Charles Maib.
March 21, 2024 - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) is the premier Department of Defense (DoD) military construction (MILCON) agent in the Pacific, providing facilities-related design and construction work...

THAAD Battery in Guam Successfully Completes Table VIII Evaluation
A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense launcher used by E-3 Air Defense Artillery THAAD Battery as part of their Table VIII certification in Dededo, Guam, March 13, 2024. The THAAD battery, equipped with a state-of-the-art missile defense system, is tasked with defending Guam against ballistic missile threats. (U.S. Army Photo by Maj. Trevor Wild)
March 21, 2024 - In a testament to readiness and operational excellence, Task Force Talon's E-3 ADA THAAD Battery conducted a Table VIII evaluation for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system stationed in Guam, March 11-15,...