All branches of the US military are training for battle scenarios that potentially could take place in the Indo-Pacific region. One of these exercises is an Air Force exercise aimed at moving large numbers of individuals and materials to locations they are needed at. This is a biannual training exercise that tests airlift capability to include refueling, materials movement, coordination of multiple air craft, and other actions needed to project power to the western Pacific.
From The Military Times:
For two weeks in July, the training, known as Mobility Guardian, helped solidify the use of the so-called “Second Island Chain” — the string of archipelagos from Japan to the Mariana Islands to Indonesia — as a key logistics hub for the U.S. and its allies in a future war.
It was a test of several crucial questions: How quickly can the Air Force get there? What and who does it need to bring? And can the airmen do it all themselves?
The answers began more than 8,000 miles away in Charleston, South Carolina.
‘Back to the future’
On a scorching, muggy morning at Joint Base Charleston July 3, Air Force Times began an exclusive 10-day trip with Air Mobility Command to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
Airmen milled around the Installation Deployment Readiness Center, a one-stop shop for last-minute paperwork checks, briefings and vaccinations before shipping overseas.
They were preparing to deploy as the 437th Air Expeditionary Wing, the unit that would lead Mobility Guardian from a makeshift headquarters at Andersen. Their goal was to bring to life the Air Force’s vision of a speedier, more holistic approach to combat tours.
It marks a fundamental shift in how the Air Force thinks about fighting in the Pacific.
For the past two decades, the war on terrorism has relied on a stream of airmen who cycle through well-established bases around the world. Sometimes that requires deploying an entire squadron for one mission; other times, airmen are tapped piecemeal from different squadrons or bases to fill open jobs overseas.
Now airmen who work under the same wing at home will deploy together as one team, with a built-in air staff to manage missions and morale. Along with more predictable schedules and ample training, the Air Force hopes the new approach will lead to more capable expeditionary units that can function away from brick-and-mortar bases.
The Military Times provides the balance of the story here.
“Now airmen who work under the same wing at home will deploy together as one team, with a built-in air staff to manage missions and morale.”
Far too simple. Won’t work.
“Now airmen who work under the same wing at home will deploy together as one team, with a built-in air staff to manage missions and morale. Along with more predictable schedules”
…Hey, Air Force – don’t know if you remember this or not, but we used to exercise exactly that once a quarter or so back in the Cold War.
Just sayin’.
The unspoken seekrit squirrel part of this mission is to see how many troops and aircraft can be placed on Guam before it tips over. Keep your Mae West vest handy troops. You may need it.
Betcha the Chinese Communists are watching this operation real closely.
If we disperse the troop load over the island in a fairly balanced manner, it would still be a usable piece of real estate, albeit noticeably smaller in area…
That idea sounds like its on the level and to check the level on the island, they could lay a super duper genuine contractor’s very long Black and Decker level on the ground to check the level of the island as the troops land. I’m really on the level about my comment reply. See you later Alligater, doo wopp shoo bop.
MRS D claims I’m about a half bubble off plumb.
Only a half bubble? She’s being too kind. Might want to check the credit card statement real close when it comes, SFC D.
Truth be told, I was well over a bubble and half off prior to her.
Well I’ll be plumb on the level and say that you should get a thicker sole on the bottom of the shoe to stop the half bubble off plumb. Later Alligator
Whudabout Maui…?
My heart goes out to the great people of Lahaina.
Ok, great, but is the chow plan good-to-go?
And iffin’ so, can they inform their daddy, aka the Army, about lessons-learned?
Caloric deficits aren’t great for maintaining the ability to “go[] rolling along”.
Follow up questions, what is the carbon footprint for dragging a whole ass Wing 8,000 miles? And did someone give the totally straight Jennifer Granholm a Ativan to reduce her anxiety over the potential damage to the icecaps?
Back in the mid 70’s, the US Naval Reserve attempted
a drill to mobilize 450 personnel. I had a staff of 7 active duty
personnel to accomplish this mission which included all
updated paperwork, new uniforms, medical, berthing and
messing. I had 48 hours to pretend to get these people where they
needed to be. We could not obtain berthing, they soon tired of
pizza, all the while losing massive amounts of paperwork. Oh, and I could not get transportation sorted out either.
A complete FUBAR.
How can anyone tire of Pizza. I think I’ll play up tempo “Pizza Pie” by Norman Fox and the Rob-Roys 1958 on the NYC Hammer label.
Mobility Guardian 23 ran 5-21 July 2023.
This 24 July 2023 article said it was a success.
“AMC’s Largest Global Exercise Proves Success In Indo-Pacific Theater”
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3468805/amcs-largest-global-exercise-proves-success-in-indo-pacific-theater/
Does this mean the US Military is good to go in taking care of Taiwan?
Asking For A Friend.
Couldn’t we maybe float Taiwan a little closer to the USA, with enough tugs and slow acceleration and deceleration, we could make it much easier to defend.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I still like my idea of evacuating the island and bringing everyone and everything there to the US. Let China have the place, no reason for the people and critters to suffer.
24 Million hard working, industrious, educated people would be a helluva a shot in the arm for the US instead of hordes migrant workers from Venezuela applying for EBT cards. We move all the factories and business straight to the US. I bet we could relocate the whole country in 15 years. Plus we already know how they feel about communism.
We can send them all to our liberal zones that are rapidly depopulating like California and Detroit. Once they take over the voting rolls there they could get things pointed back in the right direction.
That could explain a JBLM C-17 flight this coming Saturday morning to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska -> Kadena AB, Japan -> Clark AB, Philippines on their Space A page… seats TBD.
Space A Roll call 0700 Saturday morning – 52 seats available.