JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, New Jersey -- The 34th Combat Training Squadron (CTS) led the certification event for Air Mobility Command’s first combat-ready Air Expeditionary Wing 2.0—a deployable unit organized for specific overseas missions—during exercise STORM FLAG 26-07 held at the Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport, Mississippi, May 9-16.
Earlier this year, the 34th and 49th Combat Training Squadrons realigned under the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, bringing individual and unit training under one organization solely focused on training warfighters to win. Working with the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, this training system synchronizes how the Air Force designs large-scale exercises to meet modern challenges in support of the National Security Strategy.
“By bringing the 34th and the 49th Combat Training Squadrons into the EOS enterprise we have taken an important step forward, said Col. Sarah Kaiser, EOS commandant. “We have united training and exercises into a single, cohesive system – a network of training to prepare Airmen and Wings to deploy anywhere, in any operating environment. Training as a team…that is how you train to win.”
STORM FLAG, AMC’s only exercise series accredited for realistic joint military training, serves as the premier venue for certifying air expeditionary wings and preparing local leaders to make independent, front-line decisions. The exercise also provides combat representative training, exposing personnel to the intense stress and demands of forward-deployed locations. This controlled, hands-on environment helps Airmen analyze their performance and prepare for contingencies.
To facilitate certification, the 34th CTS spent more than six months designing the exercise to systematically test fundamental airlift and mobility skills, including projecting power and delivering lethality at speed in a mock hostile territory. The training audience, mostly from the 19th Air Expeditionary Wing from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., included Airmen from 58 career fields, multiple federal agencies and international allies. International partners helped design training objectives and worked directly with U.S. forces, strengthening global partnerships and improving hands-on readiness.
To ensure peak readiness, the 34 CTS customizes the training it provides to meet participating unit's specific combat needs.
“What greater honor is there than being the metal file or bench grinder that sharpens the spear that defends our nation," said Lt. Col. Leonard Trujillo, 34 CTS commander. “The squadron's experts design realistic, high-pressure scenarios—such as operating in austere landing zones, contested resupply, and intensive combat survival training—tailored directly to the participants. By aligning these grueling scenarios with a wing's specific mission, the 34 CTS transforms baseline readiness into the decisive advantage needed to win.”
Navigating these tailored changes, the 19th AEW had to integrate core mission requirements with specific training objectives, challenging Airmen to perform mission tasks under combat-like friction and fatigue. Following the week-long exercise, Trujillo and AEW leadership confirmed the unit met mission essential training tasks and officially declared the wing ready for combat operations.