DVIDS – News – AZ Guard unit tests readiness during first ANG tanker unit multi-day flyaway exercise

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Hawaii – To exhibit the Division of the Air Power’s precedence of Agile Fight Employment (ACE), Airmen from the 161st Air Refueling Wing performed the Air Nationwide Guard’s first multi-day, flyaway readiness train by an Air Refueling Wing, right here Oct. 12-17, 2022.

The ACE idea makes use of multi-capable Airmen to take care of, refuel and recuperate plane, and guarantee they’re able to quickly deploy. Creating multi-capable Airmen is the important thing to facilitating a proactive and reactive operational scheme of maneuver to extend resiliency and survivability whereas producing fight energy.

“This can be a demonstration of management at each degree,” mentioned Col. Jessica Hastings, commander of the 161st Air Refueling Wing. “The success in future fight situations is the multi-capable airmen who perceive commander intent and assume exterior the field to beat unconventional challenges.”

For this multi-day occasion, 4 KC-135 Stratotankers from the 161st Air Refueling Wing, and two C-17 Globemaster IIIs (from Alaska’s 176th Airlift Wing and New York’s a hundred and fifth Airlift Wing), departed from Goldwater Air Nationwide Guard Base in Phoenix, with simply over 100 Airmen, and minimal tools wanted to conduct air refueling operations in an austere setting.

To simulate the challenges of an austere setting, the 161st Inspector Common Workplace contacted Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s Marine Plane Group 24 to coordinate the usage of a hangar and ramp area. This added a layer of complexity to the train by taking the workforce to an unfamiliar non-Air Power base the place community entry could be restrictive and there was no set up familiarity.

“We would have liked to copy and inject challenges that could be confronted in a real-world occasion,” mentioned Senior Grasp Sgt. Ben Northcutt, 161st Inspector Common Workplace. “Having communication and tools challenges and dealing in an unfamiliar setting is extra according to what models will seemingly face in future conflicts.”

The train started with an concept from members of the Arizona Air Nationwide Guard to push boundaries whereas coaching for a real-world future battle with a readiness train.

As soon as the airfield was secured, coordination started with the Pacific Air Protection Sector, 298th Air Protection Group to offer floor management intercept and air area management to facilitate the 161st ARW’s skill to conduct refueling missions with F-22 Raptors from the nineteenth Fighter Squadron.

“We don’t go to struggle alone,” mentioned Maj. David Fitzmaurice, Inspector Common, 161st Air Refueling Wing. “Actual-world conflicts require whole pressure coordination between the energetic, guard and reserve and all branches of service within the space of operations.”

Instantly upon arrival at Kaneohe Bay, the Airmen of the 161st understood the complexities of the train.

“Working with a smaller workforce, in an unfamiliar location, and with out the standard tools we use at our residence station was a problem,” mentioned Workers Sgt. Erik Swanberg, an air cargo specialist with the 161st Logistics Readiness Squadron. “Offloading C-17s and KC-135s and getting cargo to the train space throughout the flight line set the tone, however as soon as we began working via the issue issues fell into place.”

Train injects created additional challenges for the Airmen of the 161st. Communication outages, airfield safety threats, and performing duties in private protecting tools because of simulated chemical assaults added to the stress of the state of affairs.

The train additionally allowed Airmen to hone their expertise utilizing tools in a real-world setting that they’d solely beforehand obtained primary preliminary coaching on.

“Coaching in a deployment-type setting gave senior unit members an opportunity to offer hands-on coaching to our junior airmen,” mentioned Tech Sgt. Michael Hayes, 161st Power Assist Squadron meals service specialist. “Arrange and use of the crucial elements of our subject kitchen and overcoming environmental situations resembling rain and wind to conduct meals providers was one thing we don’t get to do on a day-to-day foundation again on the Wing.”

One other train goal concerned aircrew working with upkeep and gasoline groups to conduct sizzling pit refueling. This happens instantly after touchdown, whereas an engine continues to be operating, to scale back response instances for the redeployment of the plane.

“In at present’s geo-political local weather, the KC-135 mission could need to function out of airfields with restricted or no floor assist,” mentioned Tech Sgt. Trent Stokes, an inflight refueling specialist with the 161st Air Refueling Wing. “That’s the reason aircrews should turn into proficient in duties resembling fast refueling to maintain the mission.”

In each train, there are classes discovered and finest practices found. With this being a primary of its type, the teachings discovered are only the start of making a extra agile fight pressure.

“There are all the time crawl, stroll and run phases to coaching,” mentioned Col. Dean Owen, vice commander of the 161st Air Refueling Wing. “We have now educated for this at our residence station, and inside our quick space, in preparation for hitting the bottom operating throughout an train like this.”

The success of this train, from planning to execution, has contributed to the guts of the Air Nationwide Guard which has all the time drawn its power from multi-capable Airmen.

“We have now all the time prided ourselves on the truth that we come from the communities we serve,” Col. Owen mentioned. “Lots of our conventional Guardsmen work in profession fields that don’t align with the identical job operate they carry out within the Air Power. This enables us to capitalize on a range of experience and expertise that isn’t discovered anyplace else.”

The 161st Air Refueling Wing operates out of Goldwater Air Nationwide Guard Base in Phoenix and is likely one of the busiest air refueling wings within the nation, flying over 3045 hours in FY22 in assist of Air Training and Coaching Command, Air Mobility Command, United States Strategic Command, and abroad deployments.