Mobility exercise challenges, tests each squadron

  • Published
  • By Tyler Hemstreet
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
According to base officials, every squadron here played an important role in this week's mobility exercise.

The MOBEX gave base officials the chance to inspect the deployability unit tasking codes it is vulnerable to should Team McChord be called on for a short-notice deployment, said Maj. Steven Polomsky, 62nd Airlift Wing.

"We're testing the ability of the initial response portion of the deployment," Major Polomsky said.

More than 60 individual UTCs were tasked; more than 200 people were sent through processing lines; and more than 200 short tons of cargo were processed, he said.

"We're evaluating both the people side and the cargo side of the equation," Major Polomsky said.

Under normal circumstances, the deployment center has 60 to 90 days to process an Operation Enduring Freedom deployment, but the exercise required the center to process the same capability in a couple of days, said Mike Hansen, 62nd Logistics Readiness Squadron installation deployment officer.

"It's a lot of added pressure on the deployment center staff," Mr. Hansen said. "What we normally have weeks and months to plan for, we do in a couple of hours. It just compresses the time frame to get everything done."

The deployment center processed people and cargo for seven missions, he said. 

The exercise was even carried out to the point where an aircrew boarded a C-17 Globemaster III and it took off as part of a training mission, Major Polomsky said.

While the exercise wasn't as big as the Operational Readiness Inspection or the Operational Readiness Exercise, Major Polomsky said it still reached out and had an impact on a significant amount of the base. What we normally have weeks and months to plan for, we did in a couple of hours. It just compresses the time frame to get everything done."

The deployment center processed people and cargo for seven missions, he said.

The exercise was even carried out to the point where an aircrew boarded a C-17 Globemaster III, and it took off as part of a training mission, Major Polomsky said.

While the exercise wasn't as big as the Operational Readiness Inspection or the Operational Readiness Exercise, Major Polomsky said it still had an impact on a significant amount of the base.