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First JCRG hits ground in Egypt

  • Published
EXERCISE BRIGHT STAR 05/06 --  Sixty-five Airmen and Soldiers landed as a single unit at Jiyanklis Air Base, Egypt, Aug. 23 as part of the first Joint Contingency Response Group to participate in Exercise Bright Star 05/06.

The JCRG hit the ground running. Within minutes after landing, the joint team had secured its reach-back communication linkup to U.S. Transportation Command and later completed an air base assessment. Working through the first night setting up tents, a joint operations center, and all the necessary communications to get the air base on its feet, the JCRG accomplished one of its first exercise objectives.

Col. Lloyd B. Moon Jr., commander of the 816th Contingency Response Group, McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., deployed as the first JCRG commander.

Its quite an honor and quite a task, said Colonel Moon. Combining the Air Force CRG and Army mobility assets is a great step forward for the Joint Task Force.

The purpose of Air Mobility Commands six CRGs is to rapidly deploy personnel and equipment to open air bases in a variety of locations in preparation for any follow-on missions, thereby expanding air expeditionary capabilities around the globe.

Capitalizing on the CRG concept of operations, USTRANSCOM is developing a new joint capability the JCRG, or future Joint Task Force (Port Opening) concept. The JCRG is designed to combine specific Air Force, Army and Navy skills to provide the USTRANSCOM commander a joint capability to open and operate expeditionary aerial ports of debarkation. By employing USTRANSCOM assigned forces, the geographic combatant commanders will gain a rapid, expeditionary capability to open the deployment and distribution network in their area of responsibility.

For Bright Star 05/06, Air Force and Army assets will demonstrate a number of capabilities to include APOD clearance, onward movement responsibilities and establishment of in-transit visibility. As follow-on logistics forces arrive in the theater and become mission capable, the JCRG will transfer its mission responsibilities.

This JCRG is a great concept a long time coming, said Maj. Kenneth King, who is serving as deputy commander for the JCRG Surface Operations. It gives us a rapid deployment capability for opening a distribution node. Most important, we support the warfighter when he needs it the most at the very beginning.

With the JCRG, we are taking a concept and making it a reality, added Colonel Moon.

Jiyanklis AB is one of many sites that will be used for operations during Bright Star 05/06, the joint, multi-national exercise hosted by Egypt and designed to increase multi-nation security and defense capabilities in the region.

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