JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AFNS) -- Joint Base Lewis-McChord successfully completed Exercise Rainier War 22B Oct. 6-21.
Rainier War is a semi-annual exercise designed to demonstrate the 62nd Airlift Wing, 627th Air Base Group and 446th Airlift Wing’s ability to generate, employ and sustain operations.
“Exercise Rainier War’s goal is to exercise and evaluate Team McChord’s ability to conduct Rapid Global Mobility into and in support of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s area of responsibility,” said Col. David Fazenbaker, 62nd AW commander.
During the 16-day exercise, JB Lewis-McChord generated, employed and sustained rapid mobilization to multiple national deployed locations in the USINDOPACOM area of responsibility. The 62nd AW deployed as the lead wing, providing a command-and-control element and aircraft capabilities to include airland and airdrop. Additionally, the exercise included joint and combat Air Force integration with focus on near-peer adversary threats.
Lt. Col. Matthew Weinberg, 62nd AW Inspector General exercise director, said Rainier War is designed to demonstrate the lead wing’s ability to operate and survive while defeating challenges to the U.S. military advantage in all operating domains – air, land, sea and cyberspace.
“We want to exercise and evaluate our abilities to deploy forces, maintain wartime operational tempos and conduct command and control across multiple geographic locations,” Weinberg said.
JB Lewis-McChord also conducted cargo and personnel processing, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear, and force protection scenarios, communication and connectivity degradation incidents and crisis scenarios.
“This is a full-scale readiness exercise with Air Force Force Generation (AFFORGEN) prioritization, demonstrating our combat warfighters’ capabilities during a rigorous wartime scenario,” said Maj. Julie Turner, 62nd AW Inspector General exercise deputy director.
JB Lewis-McChord conducted exercise operations at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, as well as at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, in conjunction with RED FLAG-Alaska.
“Rainier War 22B was a huge success,” Fazenbaker said. “It continues to demonstrate that McChord Airmen can deliver lethal, agile and persistent Rapid Global Mobility operations and are able to communicate, navigate and maneuver at the tempo required to win. Our Airmen understand mobility operations and are prepared to execute and support Agile Combat Employment in the USINDOPACOM AOR.”