Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael P. Nicholson participated in the world’s largest joint theater air and missile defense exercise
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Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael P. Nicholson participated in the world’s largest joint theater air and missile defense exercise called “Roving Sands ’01.” The exercise involved more than 15,000 servicemembers of the U.S. armed forces and foreign military forces from Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, including 12 exercise observers from Italy and Turkey.
Roving Sands was conducted at training ranges and sites located in and around White Sands Missile Range, N.M., and Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas. The exercise merges the command, control, communications and computer elements, air defense artillery, and aircraft of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and multinational forces into a joint integrated air defense system and a network of ground, missile and radar early warning systems.
The training develops and enhances broad-based skills and techniques that can be applied to any contingency operation; and provides effective, flexible and capable joint forces ready for deployment on a short notice to any contingency wherever needed.
Nicholson, is a flight management superintendent assigned to the 79th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter, S.C.
He is the son of Edward J. and Patricia A. Nicholson of 8487 Preakness Drive, North Charleston, S.C.
His wife, Angel, is the daughter of Skyler and Sharon Appley of Gallatin, Mo.
The sergeant is a 1988 graduate of Stall High School, North Charleston.