KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The 403rd Wing conducted a readiness exercise, called Operation Thunder Strike, June 3-8, to test the unit’s wartime capability and to ensure Airmen are mission ready.
More than 75 Reserve Citizen Airmen from 403rd Wing Staff Agencies, Mission Support Group and the Aeromedical Staging Squadron “deployed” to the U.S. Indo-Pacific area and responded to various scenarios.
Airmen took part in tactical combat care medical basic life-saving techniques and Ability to Survive and Operate training which focused on familiarizing Airmen on how to don and wear Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear, which protects Airmen in a toxic environment. They also had weapons training, and players had own Air Force Specialty Code objectives to implement in a mock warfare setting.
“I learned different aspects of mission readiness this week,” said Staff Sgt. Makayla Averett, 403rd Force Support Squadron. “I also learned mission awareness, how to work together as a team, being able to communicate as a team, making sure we can account for everybody, and ensuring safety in degrading environments and in wartime.”
Airmen hone wartime skills in readiness exercise
Members of the 403rd Force Support Squadron construct a shelter during a wing inspection readiness exercise called Thunderstrike at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., July 6, 2024. The purpose of the exercise is to evaluate the wing’s effectiveness and readiness in accomplishing their mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Shelton Sherrill)
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Airmen hone wartime skills in readiness exercise
1st Lt. Zachary Cates with the 36th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron directs troops onto a C-130J aircraft during a wing inspection readiness exercise called Thunderstrike at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., July 6, 2024. The purpose of the exercise is to evaluate the wing’s effectiveness and readiness in accomplishing their mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Shelton Sherrill)
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Airmen hone wartime skills in readiness exercise
Personnel from the 403rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron in-process patients during a wing inspection readiness exercise called Thunderstrike at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., July 6, 2024. The purpose of the exercise is to evaluate the wing’s effectiveness and readiness in accomplishing their mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Shelton Sherrill)
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Airmen hone wartime skills in readiness exercise
Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base Miss., participate in the 2024 readiness exercise called Thunderstrike, created by the Inspector General’s Inspectors office June 3-9, 2024. Players of the exercise wore Mission Oriented Protective Posture due to a simulated chemical warzone where they were to perform mock deployment objectives as well as learn other medical, communications, and tactical procedures, to improve mission readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emily Bloodworth)
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Airmen hone wartime skills in readiness exercise
Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base Miss., participate in the 2024 readiness exercise called Thunderstrike, created by the Inspector General’s Inspectors office June 3-9, 2024. Players of the exercise wore Mission Oriented Protective Posture due to a simulated chemical warzone where they were to perform mock deployment objectives as well as learn other medical, communications, and tactical procedures, to improve mission readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emily Bloodworth)
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Master Sgt. Stefanie Elder, the 403rd Wing Inspector General Inspections readiness exercise coordinator was the lead planner who ensured Airmen would execute several components of their Air Force Specialty Code during times of war.
“Every function was able to provide objectives on what they wanted to do, so there was a lot going on at the same time,” said Elder. We provided multiple scenarios simultaneously to exercise tactical combat casualty care, chemical attack response, search and recovery operations, feeding operations, and patient movement with 36 AES coordination.”
Elder and the IGI team didn’t coordinate and execute the training scenarios without help. They had support from the Wing Inspection Team, who were appointed by their commanders, as well as the 403rd MSG, 403rd Force Support Squadron, 403rd Wing Development and Training Flight, and 403rd ASTS.
With an exercise of this scale, it takes a lot of planning for it to be successful, according to Elder.
“Ideally, you want at least a year to plan a readiness exercise,” said Elder. “We started this planning in November, so we had seven months to plan.”
Even though the planning process was on a short timeline, the execution was successful as it allowed the players to take away a lot of information.
“The IGI team did a great job setting this up and challenging us,” said Col. Jaret Fish, 403rd Wing deputy commander who was also the commander for the exercise’s 403rd Expeditionary Task Force. “Our Airmen accomplished a lot this week. Their positive attitude and the effort they showed were amazing. I am thankful for the challenge that our planning team presented and am impressed with the 403rd Wing’s ability to achieve mission objectives in a difficult environment.”
The deputy commander expressed his thanks to all the exercise players, planners, and inspectors.
“Our Airmen were able to take lessons learned from this exercise and prepare for the challenges we might face in the future as well is build future readiness training opportunities,” he said.