PATRIOT EXPRESS

Pre-Static load of a Seabee bulldozer. Pictured are the Airmen and Sailors from 315th Airlift Control Flight, 38th Aerialport Squadron, 18st APS and Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 17 during last month's Patriot Express exercise in Colorado. (U.S. Air Force Reserve Photo by 1st Lt. Leanne Babcock)

PATRIOT EXPRESS

Maj. Scott Hazzard and Staff Sg.t Gary Lamb from the 315th Airlift Control Flight and Staff Sgt. Allyson Williams, 512th ALCF from Dover, assist in preparing a generator for load. The ALCFs embrace the enabler concept, all Airmen help move the mission. (U. S. Air Force Reserve photo by 1st Lt. Leanne Babcock)

PATRIOT EXPRESS

Tech. Sgt. Franco Reyes, 81st Aerialport Squadron and Senior Airman Bryan Parker, 38th APS and Staff Sgt. Patrick Bradley, 452nd Airlift Control Flight utilize ICODES to create a load plan with the Seabees Squad Leader EO1 Melanie Stokes,Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 17 for last month's Patriot Express exercise. (U.S. Air Force Reserve photo by Lt. Leanne Babcock)

Swampfoxes lead the way in Patriot Express 2013

Published Sept. 19, 2013
By 1st Lt Leanne Babcock
38th Aerialport Squadron

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Reservists of the 315th Airlift Control Flight, 38th Aerialport Squadron and 81st APS recently participated in Patriot Express, an annual Air Force Reserve Command exercise involving the command's five Airlift Control Flights.

The overall ALCF mission is to maintain a compact force, capable of deploying worldwide to any airfield with limited notice to set up mobile command and control of contingency, humanitarian, or exercise missions as directed by Air Mobility Command.

The exercise mission was for participants to train in accordance with their designed operational capability -- to deploy within 36 hours after tasking as part of a contingency response element. The exercise tested the CRE 36-hour timeline with sorties, equipment and passengers moving between Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colo.

315th ALCF "Swampfox" Commander Lt. Col. Zeb Lau and ALCF operator Lt. Col. Don Thigpen lead this year's Patriot Express.

Key players in Patriot Express 2013 were the 452nd ALCF from March Air Reserve Base, Calif. the 512th ALCF from Dover Air Force Base, Del. and the 439th ALCF from Westover ARB, Mass. The Navy Reserve Seabees (combat engineers) led by Navy Lt. Leia Guccione from Naval Mobility Construction Battalion (NMCB)-17 assigned to Fort Carson, Colo. supplied the Joint Total Force component of the exercise. The Aerial Porters from the 38th and 81st Aerial Port Squadron here, led by Master Sgt. Seth Soine, instructed the Seabees on how to load plan and to joint inspect their equipment.

Over the span of 36 hours and two locations, the four ALCFs, two APSs and NMCB-17 were successful in accomplishing the objectives of Patriot Express 2013.