Joint Readiness Training Center Exercise 09-09

Staff Sgts. David Jarboe, Mark Morgan and Cody Loyd perform a foreign object detection walk on Aug. 19, 2009, as part of operations for Joint Readiness Training Center Exercise 09-09 at Fort Polk, La. FOD walks are conducted to ensure on the aircraft ramp to ensure it is free of debris that could potentially be pulled into the aircraft's engines. The JRTC provides realistic training using war-time scenarios that allow integration between joint military organizations, host nations and civilian role-players. Units from the Air Force, Army and from the Canadian and Belgian air forces are training together during the 09-09 exercise. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Bekah Clark)

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Joint Readiness Training Center Exercise 09-09

Staff Sgt. Jason Jones, a C-17 Globemaster III loadmaster, helps guide a forklift carrying supplies to a C-17 during the Joint Readiness Training Center Exercise 09-09 on Aug. 18, 2009 at Fort Polk, La. The JRTC provides realistic training using war-time scenarios that allow integration between joint military organizations, host nations and civilian role-players. Units from the Air Force, Army and Canadian and Belgian air forces are training together during the 09-09 exercise. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Bekah Clark)

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Members of a contingency response element from the 819th Global Support Squadron, 621st Contingency Response Wing of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., assist aeromedical evacuation Airmen carry a mock patient to a C-17 Globemaster III during a training AE mission at the Joint Readiness Training Center Exercise 09-09 at Fort Polk, La., on Aug. 22, 2009. JRTC provides realistic training using scenarios that allow integration between joint military organizations, host nations and civilian role-players. Units from the U.S. Air Force, Army and the Canadian and Belgian air forces are training together during the exercise. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Bekah Clark)

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Joint Readiness Training Center Exercise 09-09

Members of a contingency response element from the 819th Global Support Squadron from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., push an air conditioning unit on Aug. 19, 2009, to the command and control tent where they'll be operating out of for the Joint Readiness Training Center Exercise 00-09 at Fort Polk, La. The JRTC provides realistic training using war-time scenarios that allow integration between joint military organizations, host nations and civilian role-players. Units from the Air Force, Army and from the Canadian and Belgian air forces are training together during the 09-09 exercise. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Bekah Clark)

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Joint Readiness Training Center Exercise 09-09

Members of a contingency response element from the 819th Global Support Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., take shelter from a bomb attack on Aug. 21, 2009, in a mock bunker during action in the Joint Readiness Training Center Exercise 09-09 at Fort Polk, La. The JRTC provides realistic training using war-time scenarios that allow integration between joint military organizations, host nations and civilian role-players. Units from the Air Force, Army and Canadian and Belgian air forces are training together during the 09-09 exercise. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Bekah Clark)

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Joint Readiness Training Center Exercise 09-09: Airmen build up contingency response ops

Published Aug. 25, 2009
By Bekah Clark
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

FORT POLK, La. -- When a C-17 Globemaster III and two C-130 Hercules' landed in Alexandria, La., the morning of Aug. 18 for the Joint Readiness Training Exercise 09-09, members of the 819th Global Support Squadron quickly got to work.

Those same aircraft would soon take 26 of the 41-member contingent of the 819th GSS and their necessary equipment to Self Field on the edge of "the box" at the JRTC on Fort Polk where Army soldiers were participating in a combat exercise.

The 819th GSS, a unit from the 621st Contingency Response Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., had those 26 Airmen serve as a contingency response element, or CRE, for the JRTC exercise. The CRE provides command and control, bare-base operations, aerial port, communications and numerous other functions for the aircraft supporting the joint exercise.

The remaining 17 of the 819th GSS Airmen made up a contingency response team who remained at Alexandria and served as command and control and aerial port for the aircraft landing there.

Within minutes of the aircraft's backdoors being opened, the CRT began loading a Hard-side Expandable Lightweight Air Mobile Shelter, or HELAMS, which would serve as the command and control center at the bare base. It included a truck, a communications package, a generator, and pallets of additional support equipment and supplies.

After an hour and a half of work in the Louisiana heat and humidity, the CRT finished loading the aircraft and the C-130s departed. The 26-member CRE boarded the C-17 and departed for Self Field. However, later the C-17 was unable to land because of moisture conditions at Self Field and was forced to head back to Alexandria after more than an hour in the air. At this time, the CRE Airmen got creative.

Capt. Gene Jacobus, CRE commander, determined it was time to unload the C-17, put what they could on to trucks, and drive it down.

"This provided us the opportunity to be really flexible in planning, because of the airlift complications we were forced to determine what we absolutely needed to get the job done," said Captain Jacobus. "That's one of the great things about contingency response wings, everything is scalable."

Once the decision to drive was made, the CRE, with the help of the CRT, got down to business, unloading the C-17 and loading up the vehicles. Within two hours, they were on their way in a fleet of rental vehicles and headed to Self Field. The two C-130s were able to land and delivered their loads successfully.

After an hour drive, the CRE arrived at Fort Polk, and began to set-up their command and control tent. The remaining systems, like satellite communications, would be set up the following morning.

Until their departure on Aug. 22, the CRE continued to provide needed capabilities, even with limited equipment. They provided command and control for all aircraft that landed at Self Field. They also coordinated the loading and unloading of equipment -- including supplies for the Army Soldiers -- and they provided power for the location enabling lights, electrical outlets, as well as air conditioning for their command and control center and the neighboring aeromedical evacuation tent.