HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – The 419th Fighter Wing participated in a wing-wide readiness exercise May 1 to assess the wing’s ability to maintain effective command and control while in a contested, degraded, and operationally limited environment.
“The biggest takeaway from this exercise is understanding what to do if we were deployed,” said Senior Airman Gabriela Knudson, a command support staff reservist in the 419th Maintenance Group.
During the exercise, the 419th MXG acted as the unit control center for six flights, 12 sections, and more than 175 Airmen of various specialties. The staff was tasked with conducting post-attack reconnaissance sweeps, Airman accountability, and relaying and receiving information among various sections.
“As a unit control center, we need to make sure that the information we relay to other sections is accurate and timely,” Knudson said. “The faster we can get the information out, the faster leadership can assess the situation, make the proper decisions, and get back to the mission at hand.”
Working one weekend a month and two weeks a year, Air Force reservists are expected to maintain the same level of training and proficiency as their active duty counterparts.