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SAVANNAH, Ga. – Approximately 430 Airmen from the 165th Airlift Wing participated in large-scale combat readiness exercise Faint Horizon March 6-9, 2025.
This exercise was designed to test the Air Force’s new Deployable Combat Wing concept, aimed at enhancing rapid, integrated power projection from dispersed locations.
Faint Horizon began at Savannah Air National Guard Base, where members trained to process through deployment lines, pack and palletize gear, and load onto a C-130J Super Hercules. From there, teams dispersed to three locations: Savannah Air National Guard Base (main operating base), Wright Army Airfield at Fort Stewart (forward location), and North Auxiliary Field at Joint Base Charleston (forward location).
“Faint Horizon simulated a deployment to the Indo-Pacific and tested our ability to mobilize and sustain operations in a forward location,” said Col. Sheldon Wilson, 165th AW commander. “It gave our Airmen a chance to sharpen their skills, perform under pressure, and show the speed and precision it takes to get the job done.”
Throughout the exercise, participants tackled high-stakes scenarios like mission planning, logistics operations, security threats, and crisis response—all while operating under varying Force Protection Condition (FPCON) levels and in Mission-Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) gear.
“For Faint Horizon, I’ve been tasked with manning an entry control point,” said Senior Airman Tristan Young, 165th HVAC technician. “It might seem like a small role, but I know my job is to protect those in the building. And by going through different FPCON and MOPP gear, we’re learning the repetition that will make us all the more prepared when it’s time to deploy.”
While Faint Horizon aligns with the wing's upcoming 2026 combat readiness inspection, its primary focus was to evaluate today’s operational readiness.
“Faint Horizon was all about testing the true readiness of our unit,” said Senior Master Sgt. William Perez, superintendent, 165th Inspector General Office. “We wanted to see if the commanders’ view of their unit readiness matches the reality. It’s about going through the checklists, spotting gaps, and making sure our Airmen are primed for future missions.”
Faint Horizon reinforced the 165th’s commitment to global readiness as Airmen honed their ability to deploy, integrate, and operate in austere, barebones environments.
“This exercise was about more than mobility—it proved our ability to adapt and stay agile,” said Wilson. “Our Airmen stepped up, thinking fast, executing with discipline, and overcoming challenges. They embodied the 165th’s unwavering commitment to getting the mission done, anytime, anywhere.”
| Date Taken: | 03.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2025 14:13 |
| Story ID: | 494012 |
| Location: | SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 165th Proves Rapid Deployment Readiness during Faint Horizon, by MSgt Morgan Whitehouse, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
