YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- With service members needing to be ready to perform a multitude of tasks at a moment’s notice, it’s important for them to stay trained and proficient on their daily duties.
Maintenance Airmen from the 123rd Airlift Wing contingency response group stationed at the Louisville Air National Guard, Kentucky, came to Yokota Air Base, Japan, to complete two weeks of hands-on training with the 730th Air Mobility Squadron while working on the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III aircrafts. The maintainers also work on C-130J Super Hercules.
“Doing this is important for myself and my maintainers because it helps us maintain proficiency on the aircrafts we don’t see often,” said Master Sgt. Charles Woods, 123rd AW CRG crew chief. “Doing this also benefits us as we integrate with other units to see how they do things at various locations versus our home location.”
The primary mission of the CRG is to provide rapidly deployable forces to the U.S. Air Force to open forward airfields in an expeditionary environment as a completely self-contained unit. The group is also utilized to provide quick reaction logistical support for humanitarian missions including man-made and natural disasters.
Unit members represent a broad spectrum of specialties including airfield security, ramp and cargo operations, aircraft maintenance, and command and control.
During the group’s time at Yokota they prepare the aircrafts for their mission by providing any type of services such as providing fuel and any kind of necessary maintenance.
“Whenever we work with these groups, we integrate them right into our squadron to provide them with the necessary training to help them stay proficient and ready to do their jobs whenever they need to deploy or go to any austere locations,” said Master Sgt. Ray Ponte-Mayor, 730th AMS lead production superintendent. “It also helps by allowing us to exchange information on how they complete tasks and increase our job proficiency.”
With the CRG receiving this kind of training, it enables them to act as an early responder in the event of contingency operations worldwide.
“We loved being here to train with a unit in a different location across the world as we learned how to better maintain the planes,” Woods said. “The exposure to these aircraft we received during our time here will definitely help us whenever we deploy or perform any humanitarian missions.”