HILL AIR FORCE BASE, UTAH – Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing completed a Phase II readiness exercise, Sept. 13-15, 2022, on Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
The exercise, which simulated a forward operating base while already deployed, consisted of 3 days of operations which included chemical warfare attacks, all while still generating the mission of the 388th—to rapidly employ combat power.
“This exercise served three purposes, the first was to validate the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) construct,” said Master Sergeant Jarrett Caldwell, 388th Fighter Wing chief of inspections. “The second was to find what limitations that arose during the exercise, and the third is for Airmen to test their Ability to Survive and Operate during wartime conditions and generate sorties in a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threat environment.”
During the exercise, the Fighter Wing looked to refine the amount of equipment, personnel, and time needed to ensure sustained operations in a deployed environment and build the necessary muscle-memory in the case of a war-time scenario. They looked to find areas of improvement and build these into strong points.
“We want to be able to take these lessons learned from this exercise and find ways to incorporate these into future mission planning,” said Major Stephen Tesauro, 388th Fighter Wing director of inspections. “With the ACE concept becoming more and more relevant, this will provide a great opportunity for our Airmen to gain valuable experience to operating in a deployed environment.”
From the crew chief on the flightline to the squadron commanders and Wing Inspection Team, each member of this exercise will learn something from this exercise, whether; that be from identifying necessary or unused equipment, providing critical feedback to leaders, or even a refresher on CBRN tactics and gear.
“The airmen of this wing will encounter threats that could arise in a deployed environment,” said Tesauro. “This is where the rubber meets the road; by completing exercises like these, we will be more prepared and adaptable to refine future processes.”
An F-35A Lightning II from the 388th Fighter Wing takes off from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, September 15th, 2022, as Airmen from the 421st Fighter Generation Squadron walk across the flight line during a readiness exercise. The exercise consisted of self-aid buddy care, chemical attacks, and their ability to survive and operate in a simulated deployed scenario. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Codie Trimble)