C-17 crews simulate wartimes missions
MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. --
Crews from McGuire's 6th Airlift Squadron, 305th/514th Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons and 305th Operation Support Squadron were recently put to the test at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., March 10-18.
The JRTC is a combined joint exercise with participants from the Air Force, Army and international units. JRTC provides realistic tactical level, joint combat employment training to meet Air Force needs.
"Crews enhance their understanding of theater command and control functions while improving their acquisition of and reaction to various surface-to-air threats," said Maj. Brandon Casey, 305th OSS. "Improving safety and survivability in actual combat situations is a major takeaway of the JRTC."
For the first time, McGuire sent one C-17 along with three crews for a total of 35 personnel to take part in the eight-day event. McGuire crews teamed up with C-130 crews from Dyess AFB, Texas, Little Rock AFB, Ark., and a Contingency Response Group from Travis AFB, Calif., German C-160 units and the Army, to make it a true joint experience.
The McGuire crews flew two sorties a day, working through multiple wartime scenarios. According to Major Casey, one of the more challenging missions was landing zone operations to austere semi-prepared runways never seen before by the crews. If that's not difficult enough, crews did these operations at night while wearing night vision goggles.
"NVG operations in theater are probably the most difficult thing C-17 crews do. Practicing managing task loads while wearing NVGs in a simulated environment is key for the safety of crews when they arrive in theater," said Major Casey. "To land such a large aircraft in such a short amount of runway while wearing these goggles requires practice in these simulated environments."
The C-17 crews delivered pallets to awaiting Army units on the ground. These pallets served as simulated necessary cargo the Army needed to complete their mission. The pallet deliveries came in a variety of ways, either by engine running offloads or combat offloads.
The McGuire crews participated in other simulated wartime missions including survival, escape and evasion; anti-aircraft artillery recognition and reaction; and comprehensive intel/tactics scenarios. McGuire crews also worked with the C-130 units and German C-160 units out of a combined operations center, simulating a combat theater of war.
With 26 sorties flown and 26 flight hours logged, the McGuire team is more mission-ready than ever.
Capt. David Manning, 6th AS, adds, "It gives us an ability to know our capabilities and what to do when we are deployed. It helps us learn to manage in a hostile and austere environment and to successfully execute our wartime mission."
The JRTC is a combined joint exercise with participants from the Air Force, Army and international units. JRTC provides realistic tactical level, joint combat employment training to meet Air Force needs.
"Crews enhance their understanding of theater command and control functions while improving their acquisition of and reaction to various surface-to-air threats," said Maj. Brandon Casey, 305th OSS. "Improving safety and survivability in actual combat situations is a major takeaway of the JRTC."
For the first time, McGuire sent one C-17 along with three crews for a total of 35 personnel to take part in the eight-day event. McGuire crews teamed up with C-130 crews from Dyess AFB, Texas, Little Rock AFB, Ark., and a Contingency Response Group from Travis AFB, Calif., German C-160 units and the Army, to make it a true joint experience.
The McGuire crews flew two sorties a day, working through multiple wartime scenarios. According to Major Casey, one of the more challenging missions was landing zone operations to austere semi-prepared runways never seen before by the crews. If that's not difficult enough, crews did these operations at night while wearing night vision goggles.
"NVG operations in theater are probably the most difficult thing C-17 crews do. Practicing managing task loads while wearing NVGs in a simulated environment is key for the safety of crews when they arrive in theater," said Major Casey. "To land such a large aircraft in such a short amount of runway while wearing these goggles requires practice in these simulated environments."
The C-17 crews delivered pallets to awaiting Army units on the ground. These pallets served as simulated necessary cargo the Army needed to complete their mission. The pallet deliveries came in a variety of ways, either by engine running offloads or combat offloads.
The McGuire crews participated in other simulated wartime missions including survival, escape and evasion; anti-aircraft artillery recognition and reaction; and comprehensive intel/tactics scenarios. McGuire crews also worked with the C-130 units and German C-160 units out of a combined operations center, simulating a combat theater of war.
With 26 sorties flown and 26 flight hours logged, the McGuire team is more mission-ready than ever.
Capt. David Manning, 6th AS, adds, "It gives us an ability to know our capabilities and what to do when we are deployed. It helps us learn to manage in a hostile and austere environment and to successfully execute our wartime mission."
