Exercise tests disaster relief mobility support

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Dustin Doyle
  • 621st Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs
MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. (AFNS) --  If an earthquake triggered a tsunami that wiped out the southern coast of Puerto Rico, who gets the call for help? 

To help answer that question, more than 80 Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing here deployed to eight locations throughout Puerto Rico and the outlying island of St. Thomas March 23 to 29 and took part in a large-scale, joint disaster relief exercise that focused on this scenario. 

The annual exercise, named Vigilant Guard, involved more than 17 Puerto Rican and federal government agencies including the 621st CRW, Northern Command's Defense Coordinating Element, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Puerto Rican National Guard and Emergency Management Agency. 

"While this isn't the first Vigilant Guard exercise, this is the first time the CRW's been involved," said Lt. Col. Konrad Klausner, commander of the 817th Global Mobility Squadron and Contingency Response Element commander for the exercise. 

"This exercise gave us the opportunity to present the CRW's capabilities to FEMA and some of the other federal agencies," he said. "When they saw what we are able to provide in terms of mobility support, they were absolutely thrilled. It really was a ground-breaking event." 

During the exercise, Airmen in the CRE conducted a hub-and-spoke operation that provided passenger and cargo movement to four locations around the island. During a real-world operation, Airmen using this mobility system would be capable of moving evacuees out of harm's way, and disaster relief supplies to where they are most needed. 

"While the 817th (Contingency Response Group) has not used the hub-and-spoke system in a disaster relief exercise, it is very similar to the one we used last year supporting President Bush's visit to Africa," said Col. Mark Ellis, commander of the 817th CRG. 

"Should a real-world disaster require it, the CRW has all the right people and assets to accomplish this sort of operation. Our (command and control), port and maintenance teams did a great job at keeping the airflow moving around the island." 

In addition to the hub-and-spoke airlift operation, 621st CRW officials also sent an 11-member airfield assessment team to Puerto Rico, to do real-world surveys and reports on two airfields that possibly could be used in future mobility missions. 

The assessment team, also known as the "Alpha Mike" in reference to the last two letters of the team's unit type code, has the tools and capability to survey any given location and create a comprehensive report on the suitability of that location as an airfield for mobility aircraft. 

"The 'Alpha Mike' teams are unique to the Air Force's Contingency Response Groups, and they really do help to put us right on the tip of the mobility spear," said Capt. Luke Stumme, a civil engineer with the 817th CRG and the lead CE member for the assessment team. 

"We have the ability to deploy anywhere in the world and make an airfield suitability recommendation within 24 hours," said Captain Stumme. 

"Vigilant Guard gave us a great opportunity to exercise this mission." 

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