JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Team McChord kicked off Exercise Rainier War 23A, Sept. 18, 2023, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Rainier War is designed to evaluate the Wing’s ability to generate, employ and sustain in-garrison and forward deployed forces and ensure strategic advantage by advancing warfighting capabilities. Rainier War 23A is slated to run Sept. 18-29.
Due to the recent U.S. Air Force-wide shift to the Air Force Force Generation deployment model, units must demonstrate new capabilities to uphold our Nation’s air superiority. In order to meet requirements and be able to deploy as part of AFFORGEN, Team McChord personnel must be certified – this is where Rainier War 23A comes in.
With support from Team McChord personnel at home station, majority of Airmen participating in Rainier War 23A were separated into two groups: aircrew, maintainers and support Airmen simulating deployers to an undisclosed location and a command staff supporting the deployers at a simulated expeditionary air base (XAB) physically separated from the deployed unit.
The 4th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron took the lead as the primary flying squadron participating in this exercise in order to receive their Mission Generation Force Element (MGFE) capabilities certification. In addition to certifying the 4th EAS for MGFE capabilities, Rainier War 23A is also a certification event where Team McChord personnel will demonstrate expeditionary air base capabilities.
“To demonstrate expeditionary air base capabilities, the command staff will prove it can set up a base, command force elements, execute base operations support, provide communications, establish senior airfield authority, and support theatre specific requirements,” said Lt. Col. Bradley Wills, director of operations with the Expeditionary Air Base A-Staff. “To demonstrate Mission Generation Force Element capabilities, the 4th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron will prove it can distribute forces and operate under mission-type orders in the case command and control gets degraded, as well as other theatre-specific requirements.”
Along with preparing Airmen to deploy at a moment’s notice, the exercise is a platform where Team McChord can demonstrate its ability to advance warfighting capabilities and ensure strategic advantage anywhere in the world.