MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The 908th Flying Training Wing, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, got a little help from a pair of sister wings during a four-day, wing-wide combat readiness exercise recently.
The exercise was designed to prepare Citizen Airmen for potential future deployments, giving them an opportunity to display their skills and leadership capabilities. Exercise planners wanted to create an environment that would resemble potential real-world scenarios as closely as possible.
The 908th FTW is currently in transition to become the formal training unit for the new MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter, slated to replace the aging UN-1H Huey.
To receive the training needed for air cargo transportation specialists and aeromedical evacuation specialists in the unit, the wing decided to ask for some additional aircraft.
That’s when sister units from Air Force Reserve Command’s 4th Air Force stepped up to help the 908th.
To answer the call for support, the 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, California, sent a C-5 Super Galaxy, and the 931st Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, Kansas, sent a KC-46A Pegasus.
“We are extremely grateful to have sister wings in the command answer the call, come to Maxwell and support invaluable training with aircraft we do not usually see,” said Col. Christopher Lacouture, 908th FTW commander. “It shows that the Air Force Reserve is focused on readiness, both for units like the 908th looking for aircraft support, and the units providing the support as they get training while here.”
The visiting C-5 was used by the 908th’s 25th Aeiral Port Squadron to practice on-loading and off-loading equipment during the exercise.
“Readiness, training and execution are our priorities,” said Col. Joseph Romeo, 349th Operations Group commander. “The more sets and repetitions our aircrew and supporting agencies can accomplish, the more it increases our warfighting capability and capacity. The faster we can load, refuel and turn jets, the faster we can get mission-critical Airmen and equipment into the battlespace. It takes a team on the ground and in the air.”
The KC-46 was used by the 908th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron for in-flight patient care, and then used by the 908th AES for transferring patients from the aircraft to the 908th Aeromedical Staging Squadron for care, and back again.
“We were thrilled to help a sister wing during their wing-wide combat readiness exercise by providing an aircraft for their AES members’ training,” said Col. Cynthia Welch, 931st ARS commander. “Our aircrew also received additional exposure to the aeromedical evacuation mission set.”
“This is the first large exercise the 908th planned in years,” Lacouture said. “The event was effective because of the hard work done by 908th Airmen and the exceptional support from the 349th AMW and 931st ARW. I cannot thank their crews and commanders enough.”