Contingency response dominates ACE exercise during Southern Strike

An F-16 Fighting Falcon escorts a C-17 Globemaster III into a simulated austere environment. The engines are running, the personnel deplane the C-17, cargo is downloaded, the airfield is prepped for more aircraft to land, and within minutes, a security perimeter is established and communications go online. This operation tempo is second nature to those within the contingency response community.

With only four contingency response fights and two contingency response groups within the Air National Guard, what these Airmen can achieve within minutes in extreme conditions is exceptional.

"Contingency response is basically an air wing in a box," said Lt. Col. Wes Carter, 172nd Contingency Response Flight commander. "What we do is go out on an airfield that's either in a wartime environment that has been taken over by our Army or Marine Corps counterparts, and we'll come in and take possession of it from them and start air operations. Our goal is to get the first airplane down within 24 hours."

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