ALPENA, Mich. (USTCNS) --- More than 450 people from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., and Grand Forks AFB, N.D., have combined here at the Combat Readiness Training Center on this Michigan Air National Guard Base for Exercise Crisis Outlook 2004. The exercise gives Airman the opportunity to practice "ability to survive and operate" scenarios.

Additionally, Travis AFB, Calif., has more than 40 people here participating in the Tanker Airlift Control Element.

Col. Chris Coley, 62nd Operations Group commander at McChord and the "deployed" commander for the 562nd Air Expeditionary Group here, said this exercise is a prime example of teamwork among Air Mobility Command bases.

"Nobody succeeds alone," Colonel Coley said. "Everything we do in the Air Force is done as a team. This exercise provides us that opportunity to work on that teambuilding concept by learning a getting better at what we do."

Among others participating in smaller roles in the exercise include people and assets from Michigan ANG's 110th Fighter Wing (Battle Creek) and the 127th Fighter Wing (Selfridge), the Army's 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, N.Y., and a U.S. Navy Seal Team from San Diego, Calif.

Advance teams of set-up and exercise evaluation team members arrived on station on Oct. 13. A larger contingent of people arrived on Oct. 15.

According to officials, some of the objectives of the exercise are to evaluate combat airlift and air refueling readiness. C-17 Globemaster IIIs from McChord and KC-135R Stratotankers from Grand Forks make up the bulk of the aircraft for the exercise.

Colonel Coley said in a deployed theater like this, people can find ways to be more efficient.

"We've already found ways to improve our processes," the colonel said.

Lt. Col. Gerald Perkins, deployed mission support group commander and the 319th Mission Support Group deputy commander at Grand Forks, said in his initial briefing to Grand Forks members this exercise serves as a prime opportunity for people to learn from their experience.

"We all came here to learn. If you do something wrong - write it down and learn from it," he told the troops.

Airman 1st Class Donald McLeod, a commander support technician deployed from the 319th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Grand Forks, said this is his first exercise of this type.

"This is actually my first deployment of any kind," Airman McLeod said. "But when a real deployment comes along, I expect to take what I learned from here and know what I need to do."

Airman McLeod said working with McChord Airmen is also adding to his experience here.

"It's definitely a plus having people here from other bases because most people don't normally deploy with the same people you work with at home station," Airman McLeod said.

Senior Airman Kristen Partney, emergency action controller deployed to the exercise from the 62nd AW, said although she deployed to Baghdad earlier this year, her experience her is beneficial.

"When you participate in an exercise like this, it sticks with you for a long time," Airman Partney said. "You learn a lot of things in an 'ability to survive and operate environment' that you really can't get in a deployment."

As far as the AMC camaraderie built between Grand Forks and McChord, Airman Partney said it's the bonus received from this experience.

"I like the experience because in our last exercise at McChord in February we only used our base's C-17s," Airman Partney said. "In this environment, we get to learn more about Grand Forks, their KC-135s, and their mission. We also are meeting new people from Grand Forks which makes a great experience even better."