Photo By Senior Airman Christian Silvera | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Krystal Jones, 437th Operations Support Squadron aircrew...... read more read more
Subscribe
JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. – Airmen from the 628th Air Base Wing, 437th Airlift Wing, and 315th Airlift Wing demonstrated their operational capabilities during Palmetto Challenge 25, a Combat Readiness Inspection (CRI) held at Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center, Mississippi, from March 3-7, 2025.
The CRI assessed the units’ operational effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and overall preparedness for combat or deployment.
Throughout the inspection, Airmen faced simulated threats, rapid deployment scenarios, and mission execution challenges, ensuring they’re equipped to support the objectives of national defense.
“The CRI was designed so the wings could experience the different types of stress they might undergo if we went into a Great Power Competition scenario,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Joshua Johnson, Air Mobility Command Inspector General deputy team chief.
Johnson explained that the inspection ensues stress on Airmen in three phases. First is a robust generation. This phase simulates the home station mission preparing for deployment. The second and third phases are deploy and sustain, where the wing moves personnel and equipment into an expeditionary environment to face a variety of atypical threats and challenges.
During the five-day inspection, Airmen engaged in aircraft generation, logistics operations, command and control exercises, and contingency response scenarios designed to replicate real-world operations. The 315th and 437th AWs focused on rapid global mobility and airlift capabilities, while the 628th ABW provided installation support, ensuring mission execution.
“We need to be evaluated on our warfighting ability, our lethality, and our capabilities to innovate throughout our combat missions,” said U.S. Air Force Col. David Myrick, 437th AW deputy commander and 843rd Deployable Combat Wing commander. “Anytime we are called to defend our nation’s national interests, whether it is through combat or deterrence, we must be ready.”
The CRI placed a strong emphasis on Agile Combat Employment, testing Joint Base Charleston’s ability to rapidly deploy and sustain operations in contested, resource-limited environments while remaining mission-ready
“This inspection has emphasized the Air Force’s operational focus on ACE and the need to operate in an unfamiliar environment,” said Myrick. “Our Airmen have to adapt and be able to overcome any obstacle.”
Beyond testing individual unit readiness, the inspection served as an
opportunity to integrate functions and mission sets across multiple commands, while enhancing interoperability between Joint Base Charleston’s total force elements.
"Joint Base Charleston is an important part of AMC’s mission–which is an important part of our ability to project power around the world,” said Johnson. “We are excited to be here and help the base understand its role in the wider mission and any potential room for improvement so we can have good lessons learned.”
Joint Base Charleston will use the insights gained from Palmetto Challenge 25 to refine operational tactics, improve training programs, and ensure Airmen remain at the forefront of global mobility and expeditionary operations.
| Date Taken: | 03.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.12.2025 15:58 |
| Story ID: | 492653 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 134 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Joint Base Charleston Airmen test readiness in Palmetto Challenge 25, by SrA Christian Silvera, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
