Mobility Airmen exercise readiness with 82nd Airborne Division

U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, load onto U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, load onto U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army Maj. Joseph Da Silva, the operations officer for the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, conducts a commander’s update briefing during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, on Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army Maj. Joseph Da Silva, the operations officer for the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, conducts a commander’s update briefing during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, on Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Joey Blacksher, a marshalling area control officer with the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, briefs Commons Drop Zone procedures at Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, to Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, on Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Joey Blacksher, a marshalling area control officer with the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, briefs Commons Drop Zone procedures at Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, to Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, on Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, prepare their parachutes and equipment during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, on Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, prepare their parachutes and equipment during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, on Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Richard Clarke, 82nd Airborne Division commander, provides comments during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Joint mission briefing at Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, on Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Richard Clarke, 82nd Airborne Division commander, provides comments during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Joint mission briefing at Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, on Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Mychailjo Nepip, right, a passenger services agent from the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, coordinates passenger-loading planning with Staff Sgt. Andrew Reilly, middle, and Tech. Sgt. Jason Hoffman, left, both from the 14th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Mychailjo Nepip, right, a passenger services agent from the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, coordinates passenger-loading planning with Staff Sgt. Andrew Reilly, middle, and Tech. Sgt. Jason Hoffman, left, both from the 14th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Reilly, an aircraft loadmaster from the 14th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, right, and U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Trevor Miller, a jumpmaster safety from the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, conduct equipment safety checks on a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Reilly, an aircraft loadmaster from the 14th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, right, and U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Trevor Miller, a jumpmaster safety from the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, conduct equipment safety checks on a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015. The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise assesses the 82nd Airborne Division’s deployment readiness tasks for a no-notice deployment—including alert, outload procedures, and deployment—tasks that are necessary to their mission success as the Joint Forcible Entry component of the nation's Global Response Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joe Berglund, an aircraft loadmaster from the 43rd Operations Support Squadron, conducts preflight checks on a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise on Jan. 27, 2015, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina. Air Mobility Command's participation illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations – whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joe Berglund, an aircraft loadmaster from the 43rd Operations Support Squadron, conducts preflight checks on a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise on Jan. 27, 2015, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina. Air Mobility Command's participation illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations – whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joel Hamlet, left, an aircraft electrical and navigation systems craftsman and Staff Sgt. Michael Kozak, right, an aircraft communications and navigation systems craftsman, both from the 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, review C-17 Globemaster III aircraft technical orders during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise on Jan. 27, 2015. By interacting and working closely with their joint partners, Mobility Airmen are able to develop refinements to processes and procedures that can potentially enhance the effectiveness of real-world operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joel Hamlet, left, an aircraft electrical and navigation systems craftsman and Staff Sgt. Michael Kozak, right, an aircraft communications and navigation systems craftsman, both from the 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, review C-17 Globemaster III aircraft technical orders during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise on Jan. 27, 2015. By interacting and working closely with their joint partners, Mobility Airmen are able to develop refinements to processes and procedures that can potentially enhance the effectiveness of real-world operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Mychailjo Nepip, a passenger services agent from the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, escorts U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, onto an U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Mychailjo Nepip, a passenger services agent from the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, escorts U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, onto an U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, load onto an U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, load onto an U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Air Force Maj. Ben Wood, a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft pilot assigned to the 17th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, conducts a mission briefing with U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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U.S. Air Force Maj. Ben Wood, a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft pilot assigned to the 17th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, conducts a mission briefing with U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Matt Kettler, a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft pilot assigned to the 17th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, conducts preflight checks during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015. Five hundred U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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U.S. Air Force Capt. Matt Kettler, a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft pilot assigned to the 17th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, conducts preflight checks during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015. Five hundred U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, load onto an U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, load onto an U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, load onto an U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, load onto an U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 27, 2015, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. Five hundred paratroopers were airdropped onto Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, from five C-17 transport aircraft 18 hours after notification. As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne Division provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world. Air Mobility Command's participation also illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations—whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

POPE ARMY AIRFIELD, N.C. -- Air Mobility Command Airmen and aircraft joined forces with U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, for an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise here Jan. 27.

Five U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft and Airmen from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, and en-route support Airmen from the 43rd Airlift Group, participated in the exercise to support the airlift and airdrop of 500 Army paratroopers on to Wright Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia, in less than 20 hours from notification.

"We train to this periodically, specifically, in large aircraft formations that a five-ship brings to the fight," said Maj. Steve Lee, the Air Force mission commander for this exercise from the 14th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. "I coordinate between our airlift package that we have airborne and the Army's airborne ground forces mission commander to make sure we get the troops to where they need to be in order to affect their scheme of maneuvers on the ground to facilitate the airfield seizure," Lee said.

The exercise provided mobility Airmen with the opportunity to train with the 82nd Abn. Div. whose battalion-sized units are evaluated periodically on how well they conduct more complex missions, such as airfield seizures, noncombatant evacuation operations, night attacks and air assault operations.

"The objective of this exercise is to increase our readiness in the joint forcible entry capabilities for the 82nd Airborne Division," said Maj. Gen. Richard Clarke, 82nd Abn. Div. commander. "The measure of success for our paratroopers will be getting safely out of the aircraft, being able to assemble and then being able to secure this airfield so they can allow for follow-on forces to land."

As the nucleus of the nation's Global Response Force, the 82nd Abn. Div. provides a strategic hedge for combatant commanders with a responsive, agile and operationally significant response force that is flexible in size and composition to accomplish missions anywhere in the world.

"We do EDREs on this scale about two to three times a year," Clarke said.

Clarke also commented about the relationship and training conducted with the Air Force during this exercise.

"It is the most important relationship we have. We have to work our relationship, we have to practice and that's why we are here tonight with our Air Force brethren. We have to work with them to make this capability a reality for our nation," Clarke said.

By interacting and working closely with their joint partners, Mobility Airmen are able to develop refinements to processes and procedures that can potentially enhance the effectiveness of real-world operations.

"It takes a team to execute this mission--operators, maintainers, mission support, Airmen, Soldiers and civilians--it doesn't matter what uniform they wear, they come together to get the mission accomplished," said Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander.

Air Mobility Command's participation in this EDRE allows the assessment and certification of the combat readiness of Air Force strategic airlift, contingency, and support forces in one of the most demanding mission sets they execute: large formation airdrop. In many ways it is a "symphony" of Mobility Air Forces carefully orchestrated with our Army partners.