JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. –
Airmen from the 87th Air Base Wing, 305th Air Mobility Wing and 514th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst concluded phase 1 of Readiness Exercise 2022, demonstrating their overall ability to deploy and sustain rapid global mobility around the world.
The exercise began March 31, 2022, and has a two-phased approach: pre-deployment and deployment.
The Air Force regularly conducts mobility readiness exercises, allowing Air Mobility Command wings to reinforce Airmen readiness and deliberately strengthen AMC warfighting culture in order to provide unrivaled Rapid Global Mobility capable of protecting and sustaining the Joint Force.
In the Personnel Deployment Function line, airmen are expected to have already been cleared by their Unit Deployment Managers to participate in the rapid deployment simulation.
“We’re looking for personal readiness.” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Stephanie A. Aaron, commander for the 514th Logistics Readiness Squadron. “We’re also looking for the AFSC [Air Force Specialty Code] skill sets and their ability to survive and operate in a contested environment.”
Alongside personal readiness, medical plays an important factor in the PDF line.
“It’s up to service members in their unit to ensure that they are current,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Dayla K. Gillispie, flight commander for the 87th Health Care Operations Squadron. “Having the mentality that they need to always be ready to support our national defense and objectives.”
Exercises like RE22 help stress the importance of Rapid Global Mobility and provide learning opportunities for the medical units involved. Gillispie stated that running into bottlenecks during the exercise are expected, but help JB MDL’s Military Treatment Facility streamline the process making it easier in the future.
Similar to the PDF, the Cargo Deployment Function tends to the cargo aspect of a deployment.
In the CDF line, airmen are tasked with inspecting cargo and ensuring it’s ready to go at a moments notice.
According to Tech. Sgt. Sean M. Cyphert, section chief for the 305th Aerial Port Squadron, the CDF line consists of cargo inspectors, hazard inspectors, and joint inspectors that do the joint airlift inspection and make sure all the cargo is airworthy.
“No matter what base you go to, they all have a cargo deployment function and you can’t do rapid mobility without it.” Cyphert said. “In order to rapidly move cargo, you have to have a cargo deployment function.”
Readiness exercises help Air Mobility wings at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst demonstrate they are ready to provide operationally ready, deliberately developed and professionally led airmen to deploy and support operations in increasingly contested environments and domains.
Following the conclusion of phase 1, phase 2 will begin by focusing primarily on the ability to survive and operate in a contested environment.