More than 450 AMC active, reserve in 6 day warfighting exercise
Travis' 60th Air Mobility Wing and 615th Air Mobility Operations Group, and the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., joined several supporting units to become the 6089th Air Expeditionary Wing.
Other participating bases included Beale and March AFBs in California; McConnell AFB, Kan.; and McGuire AFB, N.J. Reservists from the 459th Airlift Wing at Andrews and the 349th Air Mobility Wing at Travis rounded out the Total Force deployment.
Every facet of the Expeditionary Aerospace Force concept was exercised under a relentlessly broiling sun and more than 50 eagle-eyed exercise evaluators -- operations, logistics, medical and support. All this was to better prepare the players for an Expeditionary Operational Readiness Inspection at Savannah, Ga., which starts late next month.
The new EORI inspection process is designed to mirror EAF deployments, with personnel from a number of different units combining to carry out a deployed mission.
The team's major challenge -- aside from temperatures peaking in the high 90s and low 100s -- was getting new faces to work as a team and meet the daily demands of contingency operations.
Simulated conventional and unconventional attacks against the air base, which drove the players to operate in chemical suits and protective masks for long periods of time, also tested the skill and resolve of the deployed forces.
Col. Tony Phillips, 6089th AEW commander, gave his troops an early thumbs-up to the deployment phase.
"We've tackled some tough challenges setting up the 6089th," he said. "From arrival to getting our base inhabitable, you've established our presence as a vital part of our America's contribution to our allies.
"This is the total force team we'll take to Savannah for our command inspection next month. Our team is counting you."
The Iwakuni exercise put personnel from 26 different Air Force specialties through an overall scenario that aerial refueling operations. quickly evolved from austere beginnings to a fully self-defended air base supporting KC-10 The scenario tasked KC-10s to refuel tactical fighters sent in to destroy enemy aggressor forces. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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