Altus Air Force Base News

 

Altus AFB, Fort Sill conduct emergency deployment readiness joint training

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dillon Davis
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --   Altus AFB hosted joint training with the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 214th Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division to assess combat operations readiness Aug. 14, 2014.

The participating units loaded multiple U.S. Army M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and other accompanying military equipment onto a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft from the 58th Airlift Squadron to simulate real-world combat operations.

The experience of training in a joint environment allows the different military branches to more effectively and efficiently deploy combat forces to defend America and its interests.
"We had an opportunity here to be able to bring our Army HIMARS launchers and other military equipment and load them onto aircraft here at Altus AFB," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jon-Paul Maddaloni, 1st Battalion commander, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 214th Fires Brigade. "We were able to check the interoperability of the systems, but really, ensuring readiness for both the Army side and the Air Force side."

The exercise lasted one day and tested the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force's ability to rapidly and safely support global operations.

"One thing I learned was that this joint service operation is really imperative to our operations," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kavon Isabell, 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment section chief. "Not only does it allow us to see their [the Air Force's] capabilities on the aircraft, but it also allows them to see our capabilities."