The Leadership Lessons I Learned from an Air Force Training Exercise—and How They Still Impact Me as a Leader Today
- Marc Ayala
- Feb 5
- 5 min read
Years have passed since I left active service as a U.S. Air Force pilot, yet some lessons resonate more profoundly with time. None shaped my leadership perspective more than my first experience in Operation Red Flag. That exercise taught me about teamwork, humility in failure, and the importance of shared objectives, lessons that continue to guide me as a corporate leader.
Operation Red Flag: The Ultimate Training Ground
Operation Red Flag is a two-week exercise hosted at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, designed to prepare young pilots for combat. It simulates large-scale air campaigns where participants work as a “Blue Force” team to accomplish specific daily objectives. Seasoned instructors play the adversary “Red Air” team, designed to maximize participants’ learning by exploiting mistakes.
Each day’s mission is meticulously planned and includes everything from airlift to search-and-rescue to precision strikes on simulated enemy targets. At the end of the day, participants review their successes and failures, often watching replays of their simulated “deaths.” Red Flag pushes participants to confront their limits, refine teamwork, and adapt under pressure.
Airlift Day: A Mission Gone Wrong
In summer 2001, as a young lieutenant flying the C-130 Hercules, I participated in Red Flag. The C-130 isn’t flashy—it’s a cargo plane designed for short, rough runways. Among fighter pilots, it wasn’t exactly glamorous.
On Airlift Day, our mission was to infiltrate enemy territory, land at a contested airfield to deliver special operations forces, and exit safely. The plan required threading through simulated enemy anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites, with F-16 fighters assigned to escort us.
Lesson 1: Set Relevant Goals & Objectives Our six-person crew worked tirelessly with the fighter pilots to coordinate every detail: timelines, routes, contingency plans, and communication protocols. The fighters would clear enemy defenses ahead of us and provide cover, as we were vulnerable and unarmed. We trusted them completely. But trust alone isn’t enough. Goals must align across the entire team. The objective of the mission was to protect the C-130s, but this wasn’t emphasized enough in our planning. Our F-16 escorts were focused on air-to-air combat, not the safe passage of our aircraft. In business, the same problem arises when teams focus on individual performance rather than the larger mission.
The Reality of the Mission: When Plans Fail
That day, we took off and reached our holding point on schedule. As we pushed into “SAM Valley,” the radio came alive with chatter—a cacophony of voices illustrating the “fog of war.” Our F-16 escorts soon engaged enemy Red Air fighters. We felt reassured—until everything fell apart.
The AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) alerted us to a “leaker” enemy aircraft heading toward us from the Northwest. This adversary had evaded detection by flying low and using terrain to mask its approach. Suddenly, our Radar Warning Receiver blared the ominous tones of an enemy radar lock—indicating we’d been “shot down.”
The Red Air instructors had baited our F-16 escorts with decoys, and they took the bait, leaving us exposed. Frustration and confusion set in. Our plan, painstakingly crafted, had failed in just three minutes.
Lesson 2: Understand Your First Team People often prioritize their immediate team or individual goals over the broader mission. At Red Flag, the F-16 pilots prioritized their personal achievements, air-to-air kills, over the success of the overall Blue Force objective. This was a painful but valuable leadership lesson. Exceptional leaders help their teams understand the bigger picture and commit to it. In business, if one department is focused only on hitting its own metrics rather than company-wide success, the whole organization suffers.
The Debrief: Humility in Failure
Later, during the debrief, I anticipated an acknowledgment of the failure. Instead, the initial focus was on statistics—sorties flown, weapons fired, and air-to-air kills. Our F-16 escorts were even praised for their kill counts. My blood boiled.
Then, a visiting 3-star General stepped in. He asked the Mission Commander, “Did you accomplish your objective?”
“No, sir, we did not,” came the response.
“And what happened to the C-130 crews?” the General pressed.
“They were engaged and shot down by an air-to-air threat,” the Commander admitted.
The General delivered a stinging rebuke: “I suggest you stop slapping each other on the back about your kill stats and start talking about why today’s mission failed.”
It was a sobering moment, but one that shifted the focus from individual performance to the larger team objective.
Lesson 3: Plan for Contingencies No plan survives first contact with the enemy. While we planned for equipment issues and breakdowns, we failed to consider how the enemy might exploit us. We assumed our F-16 escorts would always be there. That assumption cost us. In business, planning must include looking at challenges from a competitor’s perspective. Companies that fail to consider how they might be outmaneuvered are the ones caught off guard.
The Apology & the Final Lesson
Later that evening, the flight lead from our F-16 escorts approached us at the bar. He apologized, admitting he’d been distracted by the opportunity to pad his kill stats. “Exercise fatigue,” he explained, had clouded his judgment. While his honesty was appreciated, the damage had been done.
Lesson 4: Never Underestimate Your Competition The Red Air instructors outsmarted us by using deception. They knew how we thought and exploited our weaknesses. Similarly, in business, competitors may exploit blind spots or weaknesses. Always consider what your adversary knows and how they might act.
Epilogue: Applying the Lessons
Months later, I deployed to Afghanistan for a combat mission eerily similar to our Red Flag scenario. Tasked with opening a landing zone in Taliban-controlled territory, we were assigned two A-10 fighters as escorts. Before the mission, I reminded the flight lead, “Let’s be crystal clear—if it all goes to crap out there, you do NOT leave us.”
His response: “Don’t worry. The only way they get to you is through me.”
That’s what true teamwork looks like—and it’s a lesson I carry with me every day.
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Marc Ayala is the President & Founder of Second in Command Consulting. Marc is a combat veteran of Afghanistan, Iraq, and served 13 years in the US Air Force as a C-130H Pilot and Navigator. During his military service Marc was decorated with the Air Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with Valor, Aerial Achievement Medal, and Air Force Commendation Medal. Post military, Marc has led multiple sales & marketing teams at a Fortune 50 Aerospace & Defense Company.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are my own and do not represent those of the United States Government or the U.S. Air Force. Certain details have been altered to protect individuals involved.
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