VOLK FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Wis. - U.S. Airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard 123rd Air Control Squadron participated in exercise Northern Lightning alongside a member of the Estonian Defence Forces Aug. 8.
Master Sgt. Jarno Maasing, commander of the Network Monitoring and Helpdesk Group at the Estonian Defence Forces Information and Communication Technology Centre, joined the 123rd Air Control Squadron for Northern Lightning to enhance interoperability and foster valuable relationships between the United States and Estonia.
“To share experience and knowledge is the most important thing. It doesn’t matter if you’re 3,000 kilometers away or in another country,” Maasing said. “It is the same.”
Northern Lightning is a recurring exercise that emphasizes realistic air combat scenarios and provides a critical training ground. The 2024 iteration hosted pilots from the 115th Fighter Wing and 180th Fighter Wing. Behind the scenes, the 123rd ACS integrated command and control capabilities, radar tracking and battlefield management.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to experience this with him. It shows the integration we have with our NATO partners,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Joseph Young, 123rd ACS director of cyber operations. “Knowing the importance of working with our foreign partners and seeing it firsthand is really good for our Airmen.”
Maasing’s presence emphasized the importance of cyber capability in an environment where adversaries increasingly seek to exploit vulnerabilities in information systems and critical infrastructure. Joint training allows the United States to enhance interoperability with allied nations and develop tactics to counter these threats.
“The exercise expands our knowledge base. We can understand how you work and the other way as well. It gives an idea of how we can work together,” Maasing said. “Coworking is really important for that. So far, it’s all good. We are working together fluidly.”
IT support Airmen in the 123rd ensure networks run at maximum uptime, with minimal delay in response if a problem arises. Northern Lightning and other exercises enable Airmen to respond to network issues in real-time.
“The IT service desk is the first line of support,” Maasing said. “If the first line of support fails, then nothing can happen. If it’s a critical situation and first-line support is there, it’s gonna be solved quickly.”