VOLK FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Wis. – U.S. Airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard’s 123rd Air Control Squadron joined a member of the Estonian Defense Forces in exercise Northern Lightning Aug. 8.
Master Sgt. Jarno Maasing, commander of the Network Monitoring and Help Desk Group at the Estonian Defense Forces Information and Communications Technology Center, joined the 123rd Air Control Squadron for Northern Lightning to enhance interoperability and foster valuable relationships between the United States and Estonia.
“Sharing experiences and knowledge is the most important thing. It doesn’t matter whether you are 3,000 kilometers away or in another country,” said Maasing. “It’s the same.”
Northern Lightning is a recurring exercise that emphasizes realistic air combat scenarios and provides an important training ground. Pilots from the 115th and 180th Fighter Squadrons participated in the 2024 iteration. 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 Major Joseph Young, U.S. Air Force director of cyber operations and head of the 123rd ACS. “Knowing how important it is to work with our foreign partners and experiencing this firsthand is really good for our Soldiers.”
Maasing’s presence underscored the importance of cyber capabilities in an environment where adversaries are increasingly seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in information systems and critical infrastructure. Joint exercises allow the United States to improve interoperability with allied nations and develop tactics to counter these threats.
“The exercise expands our knowledge base. We can understand how you work and vice versa. It gives us an idea of how we can work together,” said Maasing. “Coworking is really important for that. So far everything is going well. We work together smoothly.”
The 123rd’s IT support Airmen ensure networks are running at maximum availability and there is minimal delay in response when problems arise. Northern Lightning and other exercises allow Airmen to respond to network issues in real time.
“The IT service desk is the first point of contact for support,” said Maasing. “If the first point of contact fails, nothing can happen. If it is a critical situation and first-line support is there, the problem will be solved quickly.”
