Services train together

Published March 28, 2013
By Airman 1st Class Nicole Leidholm
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Travis Airmen and Army National Guard Soldiers wrapped-up a joint forces service exercise March 22.

Airmen from the 21st and 301st Airlift Squadron loaded eight soldiers and four Humvees from the 49th Military Police Brigade onto a C-17 Globemaster III en route to Moses Lake, Wash. for a simulated natural disaster.

They conducted communications training and joint training with the 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., on vehicle scales the squadron hasn't had the chance to use. The 49th MP also practiced loading operation onto K-loaders and joint inspections with the 60th Aerial Port Squadron.

"The biggest benefit is the level of combined training and awareness we bring together," said 1st Sgt. Jerry Davis, 49th MP Brigade Homeland Response Force planner. "As our air mobility increases, this gives the loadmasters the opportunity to train and load different cargo they may not be used to seeing and help to increase their abilities and stay proficient."

The 49th MP did joint inspection training with the 60th Aerial Port Squadron March 19 before loading the vehicles onto the aircraft March 20. The 49th MP also conducted C-17 safety training such as pinch points to watch out for and what to do in case a chain breaks.

The Travis aircrew and 49th MP performed an Engine Running Offload. An ERO is used by aircrew to significantly reduce the amount of time the aircraft is on the ground.

"Ground time may need to be reduced due to the vulnerability of a ground attack in a threat environment, said Tech. Sgt. Michael Turner, 60th Operations Readiness Squadron C-17 aircrew trainer.

During the joint forces local, they performed an assault landing to give the aircrews training in ERO operations, reduced ground time to minimize impact to aircrew flying training and provided the 49th MP personnel a simulation of cargo offload in a threat environment.

After landing, the 49th MP convoyed to Fairchild AFB, said Spc. Rollie Baclagan, 49th MP signal support specialist. Once there, he said they set up communications.

"We had a timed offload of our communications equipment to set up and do our communication checks," Davis said.

The team had 45 minutes to set up their communication equipment to meet the time constraints.

The 49th MP is part of the HRF and covers Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 9, which serves Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada and several American territories for emergency situations such as a natural disaster.

"We were practicing a joint forces exercise where we utilized air assets for response to a natural disaster," said 1st Lt. Graham Wintzer, 49th MP HRF human resources officer in charge.

The Soldiers must be prepared to leave the armory within 12 hours of notification, meaning the cooperation between the services helps both achieve the mission.

The training also helped the 49th MP test inter-region training with FEMA region 10.

"This training helps us utilize joint forces during exercises and helps them build on what we already know," Wintzer said.

Since starting joint training with Travis last August, the Soldiers have made quarterly training a priority.

"This has increased the Army's knowledge base and helped put faces to names of another service," Davis said. "The training builds a better working relationship with the Air Force."

Services working together is good in the current financial climate, according to Tech. Sgt. Matthew Greenwood, 60th APS special plans and projects.

"It is important to get valuable hands on training when we get the opportunity," Greenwood said. "By combining these types of training together, we not only get the hands on training but save money in the process."