Luke keeps readiness skills sharp through exercise

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Phillip Butterfield
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Exercise Crown Talon 0802, not only tested Luke's first responders May 15, but also tested the ability to survive and operate in an area of responsibility of Luke deployers. 

During the exercise, members of the 56th Fighter Wing Inspector General office evaluated Luke's ability to respond to emergency situations. The scenarios included an F-16 being shot down while continuing operations during an attack in a deployed location. 

Luke's emergency operations center members were recalled May 13 to respond to a report of an aircraft shot down on approach. When an accident involving an aircraft occurs, multiple wing agencies are called to perform recovery efforts. 

"We run these types of exercises because they demonstrate the abilities of different groups within the wing working together," said Tech. Sgt. Jose Negron, 56th FW IG exercise and evaluation NCO in charge. "It also demonstrates the ability of the EOC to coordinate and execute action and recovery plans to get the job done." 

By saying the aircraft was shot down, an extra element was added to the recovery process that normally isn't covered in Luke's regular exercises, Sergeant Negron added.
After the IG finished with exercise inputs, it was time to transition to the second phase of the exercise week which was deployment and ATSO. 

"We train on deployment and ATSO requirements not just to keep our Airmen fresh and ready for real-world contingencies but to be ready for the forth coming operational readiness inspection in 2009," Sergeant Negron said. 

The deployment and ATSO phase of the exercise has two goals. The processing line functions need to get servicemembers to a deployed country, and ensuring the Airman's ability to sustain operations while being attacked in the deployed location. 

"We have some work ahead of us," said Master Sgt. Russell Fowler, 56th IG exercise and evaluation superintendant. "After looking at the reports from our exercise evaluation team members, we did well in some areas but need improvement in others." 

With the operational readiness inspection looming in the distance, more exercises like Crown Talon 0802 will help Luke Airmen demonstrate their deployment preparedness. 

"The lessons learned during the exercise week help us to know what areas to focus on to prepare Team Thunderbolt for real-world contingencies and will be validated during the upcoming ORI," Sergeant Fowler said.