Photo By Tech. Sgt. Timothy Sencindiver | Airmen from the 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky Air National Guard and a Navy MH-60...... read more read more
Subscribe
The West Virginia Air National Guard hosted a week-long joint training exercise, known as Sentry Storm 2021, across various locations, July 19-23, 2021.
The exercise was conducted at Yeager Field, Camp Branch in Logan County, Shepherd Field in Martinsburg, W.Va., and in the skies over West Virginia, involving approximately 500 total personnel from Air National Guard, Army National Guard, U.S. Air Force, Air Force Reserve, U.S. Navy and Civil Air Patrol from 16 units in eight states.
According to Maj. David Groom, director of Sentry Storm 2021, West Virginia offers the ideal location for this type of training due to its unique topography and multitude of airfields.
“West Virginia is very unique in that we are able to have all the different venues and the sights nearby that we’re able to make things work logistically and just have it be successful,” said Groom.
This year’s Sentry Storm exercise focused on Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concepts to rapidly deploy, disperse and maneuver combat capability throughout a simulated theater to seize air superiority, execute command and control, and deliver decisive combat effects, allowing participants to hone skills needed to prevail over near-peer competitors.
Training events included dirt landing zone operations, airdrops, sling load operations, aeromedical evacuation, and forward operating base ground training.
“It’s a really good opportunity to rehearse just like we would go fight,” said Brig. Gen. William Crane, West Virginia adjutant general.
Crane added that the exercise also allows for better interagency and joint service communication, stating that each branch has their own unique protocols and jargon.
“The biggest preparation here is learning to communicate with each other,” said Crane. “Learning to talk to each other, how we talk to each other and learning to work together under one exercise is what’s really important here.”
In all, 21 aircraft, including C-130’s, C-17 Globemaster’s, MH-60 Seahawk helicopters, A-10 Warthog’s, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk and a UH-1N Huey helicopter were employed for the training. More than 150 sorties were conducted during the event.
Exercises like these demonstrate the capabilities of the West Virginia Air National Guard and joint partners to react against adversaries and deliver effective responses in a combat environment.
| Date Taken: | 08.11.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.11.2021 15:06 |
| Story ID: | 402874 |
| Location: | MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, West Virginia Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Storm 2021, by TSgt Edward Michon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
