Kentucky Airmen lead way for ANG contingency response

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  • By Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine
  • Air Force Print News
SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  The Kentucky Air National Guard is now the home of the first and only contingency response group in the Air National Guard.

The 123rd Contingency Response Group -- an "airbase in a box" -- will now provide a continual capability to provide everything necessary to open a runway, load and unload aircraft, provide security, housing and all the necessities to run an airfield.

This response mission will be used in supporting both the war on terrorism and Homeland Defense.

The creation of this unique Guard unit was announced during a Nov. 28 ceremony at the Kentucky Air Guard Base in Louisville.

"This is the first Air National Guard unit of its kind in the nation," said Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher. "The United States Air Force has always depended on Kentucky to answer the call to duty. Because of that demonstrated dedication and professionalism of the men and women of our Air National Guard, we have now been given the opportunity to have a unit such as this."

It is a role the Kentucky Air National Guardsmen are well prepared to play.

"One of the drawing cards to bring this mission to our particular unit is that all the specialties that are required for a CRG already reside within the 123rd Airlift Wing because of the mission we already have here," said Col. Mark Kraus, 123rd Airlift Wing commander. "It will be an easy transition for us to just roll folks from within the wing over to this group to basically provide this capability in a very short period of time."

These Airmen have plenty of experience responding to the mission's call.

Kentucky has the only Air National Guard special tactics squadron containing combat control and pararescue. They also have Airmen experienced in expeditionary command and control, and expeditionary medical operations.

The Kentucky Airmen who will form the new CRG have experienced response missions in Afghanistan and Iraq combat operations, and responded to the national emergency during Hurricane Katrina last year.

"The formation of this unit puts us in a great position to be a first responder for emergencies within the United States," said Maj. Gen. Donald C. Storm, adjutant general for Kentucky. "We've got a great team and the Air Force has recognized that."

"I think it provides a great deal of security in terms of disaster relief it would provide the ability to get relief supplies and personnel to the affected area in a matter of hours to start effecting the region in a positive manner," Colonel Kraus added. "Hurricane Katrina was a perfect example where this type of unit would establish an airfield operations, sort of, as they did in the New Orleans area to bring in relief supplies."

All combined the incoming Airmen of the 123rd CRG represent over 400 years of experience.

"The great thing about having this capability in the Air National Guard is that we already work and train together and we typically stay in a unit for a long period of time," Colonel Kraus said. "So we get to work together and we know each other and our capabilities and so we can play to our strengths."

More than 130 Airmen will be transferred into the new 123rd CRG as well as the utilization of current facilities and equipment at the Kentucky Guard base. After the creation and re-organization is finished, the 123rd will end up providing over $33 million in cost savings for the state.

Once operational these response Airmen will provide a never-ending vigil to quickly deploy to set-up airlift operations providing emergency members, equipment and supplies in the event of natural disaster such as a hurricane or enemy attack in conjunction with its associate partner, the 615th Contingency Response Wing at Travis Air Force Base, Calif.

These Airmen will respond within a few hours notice, establish an air base and primarily function in a 30 to 45 day window.

"In the Guard we have a dual-role -- first to the state and to the governor, and a federal warfighting mission as well," said Colonel Kraus. "This kind of capability in this kind of unit is going to be tailor-made for us to provide support to both the state and federal missions that we are tasked with."

(The Kentucky Air National Guard Bureau and Staff Sgt. Bronwyn Benito contributed to this story.)

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