Ellsworth supporting 2011 Golden Coyote Exercise

  • Published
  • By 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Ellsworth looks a bit more like an Army post this week, due to the sheer number of Army vehicles driving around as part of the 2011 Golden Coyote exercise.

Ellsworth is hosting portions of the exercise, which is focused on unit training and aiding Native Americans with critical medical and infrastructure support. The exercise has drawn more than 3,200 servicemembers from 17 states and several allied countries including Canada, Germany and Scotland.

Throughout the exercise, Ellsworth is providing support to Golden Coyote, such as the use of Camp Lancer, fire training facilities, an aircraft dock for use by a helicopter aero medical unit, and all of the base facilities available to Airmen, such as the gym and dining facility.

"They're our guests and we're treating them as such," said Master Sgt. Robert Mulder, 28th Bomb Wing plans and programs office superintendent. "We're showing them good ole Air Force hospitality."

The support will allow the exercise participants, known as the "Hurricanes," to complete four missions. Three of the missions include assisting Native Americans. The Hurricanes will be providing Native Americans with medical and dental care; fuel for the winter by clearing timber from Custer State Park; and constructing buildings and repairing roads and bridges on their reservations.

The fourth mission is focused on preparing personnel for overseas deployments. The Hurricanes will undergo combat lifesaving training, leadership training and urban combat training in a mock deployment environment.

"What our men and women in uniform are accomplishing as part of Golden Coyote is life altering, good work," said U.S. Army Col. Richard Staats, 211th Regional Support Group commander stationed out of Corpus Christie, Texas. "No purpose other than humanitarian aid is as powerfully motivating for our servicemembers to continue getting up every morning than to make a positive, real-life impact in the lives of Native Americans by doing the work they're doing here."