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Joint Base Charleston Airmen conducted a readiness exercise Feb. 11-13 in preparation for an upcoming inspection.
The 628th Air Base Wing and the 437th Airlift Wing prepared 202 Airmen during the exercise, increasing Joint Base Charleston’s ability to respond to a short-notice deployment order.
Each day focused on essential pillars of an Airmen’s ability to mobilize at a moment’s notice. Airmen trained in the classroom on the first day, day two focused on a Personnel Deployment Function line and the last two days zeroed in on field training and expeditionary skills.
Service members also received refresher courses on Tactical Combat Casualty Care by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Antigone Bagtas and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Tanner McClung, 628th ABW battle school cadres.
TCCC equips Airmen with life-saving skills at home station or in a deployed location.
“A team is only as strong as the weakest link,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Eric Childress, 628th Inspector General Office superintendent of exercise plans. “That's important because whenever we focus on deploying in a very condensed package, everybody will have a very important and critical role.”
The participants processed through a Personnel Deployment Function line under the guidance of U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Timothy Brown, 628th Logistics Readiness Squadron section commander, and Master Sgt. Libby Lodato, 628th Force Support Squadron career development section chief. Together, they supervised personnel who processed Airmen for the exercise, conducted roll calls and took accountability.
Both members appreciated the opportunity to work on the PDF line and felt it contributed to the bigger mission.
“It is pretty enlightening,” Lodato said. “It’s helpful to see all the moving pieces that help members stay mission ready.”
According to Bagtas, the instructors maintained a serious and tense environment in the classroom so the scenarios will prepare Airmen for real-world situations.
“We like to practice how we play,” Bagtas said.
As the week went on, Airmen established a mock deployed location, pinpointing sectors and zones in preparation for a chemical attack, and establishing Post-Attack Reconnaissance teams. Each member also practiced donning Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear in anticipation of the next staged event.
“It was a good exercise for members that may not have deployed,” Childress said.
On Thursday, everything came together through mock simulations like hostile ballistic missiles and drone attacks.
According to Childress, there were a lot of moving parts during the exercise. Airmen may want to complete their assigned task as fast as possible, but this mindset can cause stress, which can ultimately increase the risk of vital steps being missed and overlooked.
“The best practice to get into is, slow is smooth, and smooth is fast,” Childress said. “If you slow down and take a minute to concentrate on what you're doing, it'll smooth out for you. And the smoother it goes, the faster it will be accomplished.”
The exercise prepared Joint Base Charleston Airmen for an upcoming combat readiness inspection in March.
According to Nikki Purvis, 628th Logistics Readiness Squadron assistant installation deployment officer, it is important for each Airman to make sure to communicate, understand their role and know their responsibilities.
“This exercise showcases the base's ability to execute the mission within a timely manner,” Purvis said. “Make sure you take it seriously.”
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.21.2025 16:03 |
| Story ID: | 491276 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Readiness in focus: Team Charleston executes rapid mobilization exercise, by SSgt James Harris, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
