ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla.-- Airmen from the 97th Air Mobility Wing joined Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (3-2 ADA) from the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade (ADA) stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to conduct vehicle loading training on a static C-17 Globemaster III at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, April 19, 2023.
The Soldiers’ focus was to validate the unit's ability to maneuver and operate in a joint environment while Airmen from the 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron and 58th Airlift Squadron were able to conduct training on vehicles they don’t normally work with on a day-to-day basis.
About 30 Soldiers and 13 vehicles from the 3-2 ADA participated in the training along with three loadmaster instructors from the 58th AS and six Airmen from the 97th LRS.
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Derek Johnson, 31st ADA brigade mobility officer, shared what they were able to accomplish during their training.
“We were able to walk through joint inspection operations with the LRS Airmen prior to air load operations,” he said. “After the joint inspection, in conjunction with the loadmasters, we loaded several pieces of Patriot equipment onto a C-17, completing loading and tie down operations under their instruction.”
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jeremy John, 58th AS training flight superintendent, said the training will go a long way toward helping Airmen service wide better understand joint equipment and how to enable its employment in the field.
“Aside from helping the Soldiers accomplish their training, we got a unique training opportunity,” he said. “We got real-world joint training on equipment that will be used to combat the pacing threats around the world. When our loadmaster instructors return to Air Mobility Command, they will be able to quickly and effectively leverage this experience and knowledge in their squadrons.”