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Airmen distribute mobility expertise at joint exercise

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Robbie Waggoner
  • 621st Contingency Response Wing
FORT MCCOY, Wis. --  
Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, hammer away and secure tents that will be home for a week against the backdrop of rolling hills and a blue sky in Wisconsin for Joint Exercise Turbo Distribution.

The exercise prepares 621st CRW Airmen to deploy at a moment’s notice to austere operating environments in order to deliver rapid global mobility contingency response capabilities to those in need. For this scenario, the government of a fictional country has requested U.S. assistance in stemming the network of terrorists disrupting the country.

Approximately 130 Airmen from the wing's 621st Contingency Response Group, 50 Soldiers from the 689th Transportation Detachment Rapid Port Opening Element, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, and a support team from the Defense Logistics Agency deployed to form Joint Task Force-Port Opening. During the exercise, inspectors tested the rapid response and abilities of the JTF-PO and its ability to adjust and operate in hostile environments.

“We are U.S. Transportation Command’s premiere 911 force,” said Lt. Col. Richard Kind, JTF-PO Joint Operations Command director. “Anywhere in the world, we can open an airfield to bring any amount of cargo, no matter what it is. We benefit from the training. It's not very often we get to set up a bare-base, sleep in tents, eat Meals Ready to Eat, wear the gear, and simulate attacks from enemies.”

The 621st CRW remains ready to deploy at any moment, with different combinations of forces. This can cause communications problems if forces don't practice these skills. The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force work together but have a separate vocabulary for common tasks. The exercise offers members of the organizations a chance to bridge the gap between different approaches and build a common vocabulary that they can use to increase efficiency during future operations, according to Col. Leslie Maher, JFT-PO commander.

“What we learn out here is how to work as a team,” Maher said, “and that's the most important part.”