Ellsworth exercises capabilities

  • Published
  • By Senior Airmen Hailey Staker
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Several units assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing participated in an operational readiness exercise to test the base's ability to react and respond to possible threats in a deployed environment, Sept. 12, 15 and 16.

Each year the Wing Inspections Office is required to conduct two readiness exercises, per the wing commander, in order to assess Ellsworth's ability to execute various operational capabilities.

"The design of the exercise was to test our ability to survive and operate in a [contested environment]," said Maj. James Smith, 28th Bomb Wing director of wing inspections. "We assessed the wing's capabilities to provide combat capability and provided a risk assessment to the wing commander in order to focus the efforts for improving effectiveness and process efficiency across the wing."

The exercise was broken up into two portions, as units conducted additional training in preparation for the event Friday - ensuring they had the equipment and knowledge necessary to perform successfully during the final two days, when most exercise activities occurred.

"We evaluated several types of tasks to include launching B-1 sorties, loading weapons on aircraft, performing Self Aid and Buddy Care on simulated casualty victims, and defending the base, to name a few," said Smith.

With Airmen deploying regularly, Smith added that each Airman must be ready to perform their duties before being exposed to the additional challenges of a combat environment.

"Exercising wing readiness provides opportunities for training, and it reinforces basic skill sets required to perform while deployed," Smith added.

Smith concluded that the base had a variety of high points and lessons learned - enabling Ellsworth to improve readiness levels as Airmen prepare for future exercises and deployments.