The sustainment of high readiness training across Combat Air Force (CAF) platforms remains a challenge, especially in today's environment of increased deployments, reduced flying hours, range limitations, and geographically separated units. One method used to maintain the readiness level and increase the "train like we fight" experience is through Distributed Mission Operations (DMO). Several DMO training-focused events were accomplished in 2006 and 2007 in an effort to enhance team training, highlight new platforms on the DMO Network (DMON), and stabilize combat capability.

As the CAF 2007 annual flying hour program drew to a close, the Air Combat Command Director of Air and Space Operations championed an increase in distributed team-training events in conjunction with the decrease in live-fly training. The unique aspect of this effort was that it was not a centrally controlled exercise but a series of warfighter initiated training opportunities scheduled and conducted on a persistent "hub-less" network without the need of a simulation center. Over 90 distributed events took place logging more than 300 hours of accredited training. This type of training requires a thoughtful design and disciplined development of scenarios to meet individual and team training objectives. If properly accomplished, it improves sensor-shooter composite training, immerses the operators into a realistic DMO scenario, and improves integration efforts for sustainment of future daily training.

This paper will discuss the issues associated with designing, planning, and executing numerous inter-team training events over short intervals involving multiple missions, scenarios, and databases associated with all CAF platforms around the world. It will also examine the challenges and strategies used to foster better training and improved combat capability.