Watch the 4th Special Operations Squadron as they conduct a live-fire mission in an AC-130U Gunship during the 2016 Emerald Warrior joint exercise at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The US Air Force describes the exercise as the following:

Emerald Warrior is an annual Defense Department exercise that focuses on irregular warfare and hones special operations forces air and ground combat skills. The two-week exercise will allow participants to execute advanced tactical scenarios and strengthen joint warfighting relationships for future deployments. The exercise leverages lessons learned from past and current overseas contingency operations to provide trained and ready forces to combatant commanders.

Army Gen. Raymond A. Thomas, the U.S. Special Operations Command commander, addressed the crowd at the briefing and declared Emerald Warrior a “pivotally important exercise.”

“We have to transform ourselves through these types of exercises to prepare for the future fight that will be out there,” Thomas said.

The exercise is hosted by Air Force Special Operations Command, and it allows U.S. special operations forces and partner nation participants to train together to strengthen their relationships and develop interoperability for future deployments. Special operations personnel use the exercise as a way to further develop tactics, techniques and procedures for emerging concepts of special operations forces warfare.

“This is about interoperability, joint operations and working with partner nations to get better as a team,” said Air Force Col. Michael Lee, the Air Force Special Operations Warfare Center deputy commander and Emerald Warrior 2016 exercise director.

Image courtesy of wikipedia