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Global Thunder 16 showcases McConnell, Fairchild Readiness

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Krystal Jimenez
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Pubic Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  The 22nd Air Refueling Wing teamed up with the 92nd Air Refueling Wing to test each wings' readiness during exercise GLOBAL THUNDER 16 Nov. 2 - 8, here and at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.

GLOBAL THUNDER 16 was planned for more than a year and was based on notional scenarios with fictitious adversaries which provided training opportunities for U.S. Strategic Command task forces and component units.

"The United States' ability to maintain a safe, secure, effective and credible nuclear deterrent is foundational to our national security and contributes to the security of our allies and partners," said Adm. Cecil D. Haney, USSTRATCOM commander.

USSTRATCOM has global strategic missions which include strategic deterrence; space operations; cyberspace operations; joint electronic warfare; global strike; missile defense; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; combating weapons of mass destruction; and analysis and targeting.

Units such as the 22nd and 92nd ARWs use their day-to-day mission capabilities of air refueling to enable USSSTRATCOM to conduct global combat and reconnaissance operations.

A team of McConnell members went to Fairchild AFB in order to improve both units' joint operational readiness.

"Interoperability is key to mission success, and that is what we demonstrated here last week, " said Col. Brian McDaniel, 92nd ARW commander. "Team Fairchild and Team McConnell, ensured our combined tanker force was able to execute their mission taskings, guaranteeing the nuclear deterrence objective of the exercise."

McConnell's team worked side by side with the 92nd ARW to support the needs of USSTRATCOM and any component units for the duration of GLOBAL THUNDER 16.

"Tankers enable any mission in the Air Force to truly have global reach," said Col. Albert G. Miller, 22nd ARW commander. "Especially when it comes to USSTRATCOM's strategic deterrence mission."