JB Charleston launches 24 C-17s during mission generation exercise

Published Jan. 10, 2023
Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. (AFNS) --

A photo of Airmen loading a pallet onto an aircraft. — Airmen work together to push a training pallet during a mission generation exercise at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., Jan. 5, 2023. Airmen demonstrated agile combat employment and multi-capable Airman concepts by operating forklifts and maneuvering cargo expeditiously. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christian Silvera)

Joint Base Charleston launched 24 C-17 Globemaster IIIs to conduct a mission generation exercise that integrated Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps forces across five operating locations, Jan. 5.

The exercise marked the largest C-17 launch ever from a single base and demonstrated the wing’s ability to rapidly generate and project overwhelming airpower alongside joint partners.

“Air Mobility Command is the meaningful maneuver for the joint force, and our asymmetric advantage is our adaptable, talented Airmen,” said Maj. Gen. Corey Martin, 18th Air Force commander. “Every day, we are learning new lessons that we want to apply in combat, so this mission-generation exercise is a chance to test our capabilities at a tempo and scale that approximates combat operations.”

A photo of two aircraft driving down the flightline. — Pilots from the 437th Airlift Wing taxi C-17 Globemaster IIIs before a mission generation exercise at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Jan. 5, 2023. After conducting a flyover, the 24 C-17s split into four smaller groups, each rehearsing different aspects of agile combat employment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Dawn M. Weber)

The C-17s kicked off the exercise with a show-of-force flight over the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston Harbor and then dispersed to sharpen four core capabilities: command-and-control, navigation, tempo, and logistics under fire.

More than 20 red- and blue-air F-16 Fighting Falcons from Shaw Air Force Base and McEntire Air National Guard Base, fought for air superiority while the joint forces leveraged rapid mobility to establish a simulated missile defense system.

“We have to fight to get to the fight,” said Col. Robert Lankford, 437th Airlift Wing commander. “This exercise tests our ability to accomplish the mission, while geographically dispersed and with limited communications.”

To better define and expand on agile combat employment concepts, aircrews practiced flexible deterrent and response options, like the ability to land in austere environments and quickly accomplish the mission at each location.

A photo of Airmen loading onto a C-17. — Special tactics operators assigned to the 24th Special Operations Wing boards a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing during a mission generation exercise at Pope Army Airfield, N.C., Jan. 5, 2023. The mission generation exercise kicks off Mobility Guardian 23 and involved the launch of 24 C-17s for a show-of-force formation flight over Charleston Harbor. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Pick)

A photo of four F-16s flying over a bridge. — F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 157th Fighter Squadron at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C., fly over the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge as part of a mission generation exercise, Charleston, S.C., Jan. 5, 2023. The exercise marked the largest C-17 launch ever from a single base and demonstrated the wing’s ability to rapidly generate and project overwhelming airpower alongside joint partners. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ruano)

A photo of three Airmen operate radio equipment. — Airmen with the Joint Communication Support Element, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., establish secure communications during a mission generation exercise at Pope Army Airfield, N.C., Jan 5. 2023. Joint Base Charleston Airmen worked alongside a JCSE to establish a tactical operations center, securing communication and decentralizing command structures to enhance critical decision superiority and prevent disruption. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Taylor Ferry)

A photo of Airmen preparing to jump from a C-17. — A special tactics operator assigned to the 24th Special Operations Wing prepares to jump from a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing above North Carolina during a mission generation exercise, Jan. 5, 2023. The mission generation exercise kicks off Mobility Guardian 23 and involved the launch of 24 C-17s for a show-of-force formation flight over Charleston Harbor. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Pick)

“This exercise is about readiness and lethality,” said Maj. Zachary Barry, C-17 pilot and lead planner for the exercise. “We wanted to get as many aircraft as possible off the deck in a 48-hour timespan, to tell pacing threats that we can go anywhere, anytime.”

The first C-17s landed at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, where Airmen worked alongside a joint communications support element to establish a tactical operations center. The tactical operations center provided secure communication and decentralized command structures to enhance critical decision superiority and prevent disruption.

Other C-17s that also landed at Pope AAF picked up special tactics Airmen, took off and flew to nearby Holland drop zone where the Airmen accomplished a static-line jump. Once on the ground, they secured the dirt landing strip for follow-on operations.

At Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., C-17 aircrews landed, quickly uploaded HIMARS rocket launchers, flew to Pope AAF, and then performed a HIMARS rapid infiltration, or HIRAIN. The C-17s that landed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, executed an integrated combat turn to quickly refuel U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopters.

At Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, aircrews focused on logistics under fire. Aircrews leveraged multi-capable concepts to maneuver cargo, exercising skills outside of their primary duties to accomplish the mission.

“What we’re practicing are flexible deterrent and flexible response options,” Barry said. “If we can move really quickly, it makes it harder for the adversary to respond.”

Nearly 60 aircraft, including an E-3 Sentry and KC-135 Stratotankers, were in the air, synchronizing capabilities to maximize lethality. Airmen also experimented with command-and-control equipment that provided information for aircrews to increase their battlespace awareness in a contested environment.

“This is a historic exercise for us because we need to be able to fight tonight,” Barry said. “We need to be ready to answer the call no matter what.”