Hook Hammer and Sync

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Denise Haeussler
  • 433rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND --  Before the birds woke up March 12, 63 Air Force Reservists from the 433rd Airlift Wing gathered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland prepared to fly out to southern California on the enormous C-5A Galaxy to participate in the 17th annual Operation Patriot Hook.

Patriot Hook, which was March 12-18, is a large scale air mobility exercise involving Air Force Reserve Command flying units, airlift control flights, and aerial port personnel conducting deployment type operations from three California locations; Los Alamitos Army Air Field, North Island Naval Air Station, and San Clemente Island.

The exercise instructs civilian organizations like the FBI and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) how to utilize military aircraft to move heavy equipment to aid in natural disasters and humanitarian missions such as clean up from Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.

"We are here to train for a real-world disaster," said Lt. Col. Gordon Griggs, Contingency Response Element commander for Patriot Hook 2013, and also the 433rd Airlift Control Flight commander. "We train our civilian counter parts how to use military aircraft to move people and cargo, and be ready to go 36 hours from when the call for help comes in. We learn from each other and how we can operate together."

Of the 63 Airmen involved in the exercise, for 22 of them this was their first Patriot Hook.

"This exercise is great training for young Airmen that brings them out of their normal work environment and allows them to experience something new," said Senior Master Sgt. Reginald Daniels, 26th Aerial Port Squadron Air Transportation superintendent. "Patriot Hook trains them for state-side humanitarian missions as well as, down range."

"This is an annual exercise that trains us for real world deployments," said Senior Master Sgt. Lisa Deleon, senior noncommissioned officer for the 433rd ACLF. "We act as if this is the real deal getting hands-on training."

The C-5A Galaxy and crew played a dual role supporting the two exercises. After landing at Los Alamitos JFS to drop off Airmen and equipment, the 14 person aircrew team headed back east to support Operation Combat Hammer; a weapons system evaluation program sponsored by the 93rd Fighter Squadron out of Homestead Air Reserve Station, Fla.

The 433rd AW flew from Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla. to Eglin Air Force Base Fla., carrying cargo and troops to the exercise.

"Combat Hammer, run by Air Combat Command, is an Air Force exercise where a chain of weapons are taken out of their containers, loaded onto F-16's, and employing them on targets," said Lt. Col. Scott Briese, 482nd Fighter Wing Aircraft Maintenance commander, "It ensures we know how to properly deploy a unit, and employ once we are down range."

"Combat Hammer is an exercise the 433rd AW is supporting, sandwiched between the front and back end of Patriot Hook," said Maj. Kelly Turner, aircraft commander for this mission, and a pilot with the 68th Airlift Squadron. "We are supporting both missions by moving troops and cargo to various locations, so they can train to be ready for real world missions."

Patriot Hook concluded on March 18, and Combat Hammer will drop their hammers March 22.