514th train with Army Reserves to ensure deployment ready troops

  • Published
  • By by Christian DeLuca
  • 514th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST --  Airmen from the 35th and 88th Aerial Port Squadrons, and the 732d Airlift Squadron, teamed up with Soldiers from the Army Reserves’ 462nd Mobile Control Battalion out of Trenton, N.J. to conduct an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise, Nov. 5-6.

The EDRE is a multi-levelled exercise platform, used to assess, develop and evaluate a military unit’s ability to deploy rapidly with little to no notice. This two-day, level III exercise evaluated the battalion’s ability to get from “fort to port” through multiple deployment phases beginning with an alert and assembly, and ending with the loading of equipment and personnel onto aircraft.

Subject matter experts from the 35th and 88th APS traveled to the Stryker U.S. Army Reserve Center, Trenton N.J., Nov. 5, and assisted with passenger and cargo processing, inspections and load planning.

Nov. 6, Soldiers convoyed from Trenton to the joint base where porters marshalled them through a cargo deployment function, checking documents, weighing and measuring vehicles, and conducting a joint inspection. Passengers were also properly manifested for the flight.

Chief Master Sgt. Dawn Theroux, 35th APS chief, said the training was a positive experience for everyone involved.

“I was at Big Beige (Hanger 1) early Sunday morning when the first convoy showed up of Humvees and LMTVs (Light Medium Transportation Vehicles). You could feel the excitement,” she said. “It was so impressive to watch the Airmen professionally go through the process to safely guide the vehicles to the proper areas.”

Porters and aircrew from the 732d AS loaded and tied down several of the 462nd MC Bn’s vehicles onto a C-17, including Humvees, LMTVs and a tractor trailer.

Sgt. 1st Class Renaldo Peters, 462nd MC Bn senior movements NCO, said the training was a critical part of being deployment ready, especially in today’s joint forces environment.

“This collective joint operation provided outstanding realistic training for both the Army and Air Force Reserves and it increased our readiness deployment proficiency,” Peters said.

Theroux concurred that training jointly is a win-win situation.

“Joint training is important because we build a respect for each other. Each branch of service has its own unique mission. In this exercise the Army was getting out of town, and we were ensuring they were ready for airlift. It also provides leadership from the 514th's units and the Army Reserve an opportunity to work together and fill each other's training requirements,” she said. “The joint training definitely boosted morale, you could just feel it. It was palpable.”