CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
A crew of eight Airmen with the 437th Airlift Wing joined with 74 parachutists from the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C., for a joint mission during the Mobility Air Forces Exercise at the Nevada Test and Training Range Nov. 18.
More than 1,500 people and 60 aircraft from more than 40 units volunteered to participate in the biannual event hosted by the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, which operates under the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB, Nev.
In only three days, students enrolled in various squadrons at the school plan the entire exercise. It is the largest exercise event for mobility operations planning during the course and is the culmination of five months of intense training.
Leading the charge for the 437 AW, Capt. Curt Haase, a pilot with the 14th Airlift Squadron, was the aircraft commander for the Charleston AFB C-17 assigned to airdrop the Army parachutists over the NTTR drop zone.
In the early morning hours Nov. 18, aircrew members at Charleston AFB were primed and ready for action. On the cargo floor of the aircraft, crew chiefs and loadmasters scurried to prepare the aircraft for launch after a lengthy repair caused a delay, while pilots performed preflight checks.
From the rear of the aircraft to the front, sets of cables were installed overhead and configured for parachute release cords. Each was carefully inspected to ensure a safe jump for each Soldier at the drop zone.
The exercise centered on providing the delivery of both Army soldiers and simulated assets to airdrop and landing zones in the Nevada desert while evading simulated enemy engagements, including missile strikes and communications interference.
Despite the communication and tactical challenges, the Charleston AFB aircrew's airdrop mission was a success.
Minutes from the jump, the aircraft was precisely navigated with stomach-twisting, low-level turns to avoid enemy contact as it approached the drop zone. Limited to a 43 second window, Army jumpmasters hurried their 74 Soldiers one by one through the side doors of the speeding aircraft, each one landing safely.
In addition to the Army's coordination, MAFEX brought together an array of Air Force aircraft. Captain Haase said his MAFEX experience was the greatest concentration of aircraft he'd ever encountered in an exercise.
C-17s, C-130s, KC-135s, various fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles were used in the aerospace battle arena to accomplish a single mobility mission.
"This was a huge success," said Col. Richard Coe, Weapon's School commandant. He emphasized support from wings throughout the Air Force as a key factor in maintaining the high standard of training students receive at the Weapon's School.
Lt. Col. Jim DeHaan, 14th Airlift Squadron Director of Operations, said after being a part of MAFEX, he only wished there was enough training available for everyone in his unit to experience it.
"We're scheduled to deploy [in December], he said. "Every crew in the 14 AS should see this training before we deploy to the desert."