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Trident Juncture '15 links continents, proves capabilities

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Katherine Tereyama
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs Office
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Airmen from the 305th, 514th, and 60th Air Mobility Wings demonstrated the United States' air refueling capabilities by simultaneously launching eight KC-10 Extender aircraft from here, Nov. 4 to air refuel seven C-17 Globemasters, departing Pope Field, North Carolina, over the Atlantic.

The mission was Ultimate Reach, an air mobility force projection mission leading into Trident Juncture 2015, a joint, coalition exercise involving more than thirty allied and partner nations.

"Ultimate Reach/Trident Juncture is essentially proof that the Air Force can move assets anywhere in the world at any time and they can do it with efficiency and might," said 1st Lt. Michael Meek, 32nd Air Refueling Squadron KC-10 pilot, and one of the mission planners.

The mission involved eight KC-10s meeting seven C-17s over the Atlantic, refueling in a large formation overnight. The KC-10s offloaded approximately 6,000 gallons of fuel into each C-17, who were then able to continue on across the Atlantic and drop more than 500 airborne troops in Spain.

"This exercise is very accurate to real world operations and what we are capable of doing," said Capt. Jen Carter, 6th Air Refueling Squadron KC-10 pilot from Travis Air Force Base, California. "It shows how quickly we are capable of mobilizing and that the KC-10 is such a great asset."

This was a specific mission enabling Air Mobility Command to demonstrate their ability to provide Global Reach by delivering combat troops over a 4,000 mile distance without stopping.  It allowed KC-10 maintainers and air crews to be exposed to and practice a key capability that they could be asked to perform at any moment.

We have demonstrated that we can get airborne troops to their drop zone, said Meek. We can also deliver "supplies for relief, we can get nurses and doctors, trucks, whatever you need, wherever, whenever."

The joint base frequently uses its unique strategic location and assets to support those missions. Boasting 32 KC-10s, 13 C-17s, and dozens of aircraft from the Reserve, Guard and joint service partners on the installation, all collocated with the 621st Contingency Response Wing, the JB MDL team has supported both humanitarian and offensive missions around the world.

Ultimate Reach provided invaluable preparation for when those real world situations arise for both individuals and as a team.

"When you're over the ocean and your [communication channels] go out, or you have a fuel leak, it can become a moment where you fight and overcome it, or you break down," said Meek. "This becomes another opportunity for us to prepare for that moment. Knowing what your fellow pilots can do, or what that flight engineer or boom operator can do, and knowing their abilities is key to knowing how successful you're going to be in a tight spot."

According to Col. Erik Simonsen, 305th Operations Group commander, this exercise was a prime example of their capabilities and the professionalism of the force.

"Ultimate Reach went off extremely well," Simonsen said. "That's no small thing - launching eight KC-10s, refueling in formation over the ocean in the middle of the night - that's an impressive feat and our folks were more than up to the task as usual."