KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airmen assigned to the 33rd Rescue Generation Squadron test their ability to rapidly deploy forces and sustain operations under degraded conditions while strengthening their warfighting and agile combat employment concepts during the routine operational readiness training exercise, May 5-9, 2025.
During the initial stage of the exercise, the 33rd RGS demonstrated its readiness by conducting maintenance on the U.S. Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II, ordering essential parts for potential emergency maintenance, and organizing Post Attack Reconnaissance teams and control of the entry point to keep the facility secure.
“As maintainers we’re required to be flexible with our operating environment,” states U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jordan Sanchez, 33rd RGS dedicated crew chief. “Our 72-hour bags are packed and ready to go, so we have the capability to leave and operate out of a completely austere location, if need be.”
Initiatives like ACE underscore the investment, interoperability, and access required to strengthen force posture. The Air Force continues to work on its ability to meet new challenges in dynamic environments and in line with this direction, Pacific Air Forces are constantly evaluating and validating new warfighting concepts.
In addition to performing regular operations, the squadron has also taken steps to ensure the equipment and parts needed for maintenance is readily available and securing the facility as required for the exercise.
Next to deployments, exercises like this are the most important thing the 18th Wing can do to validate and strengthen the shared doctrine, tactics, procedures and systems that would enable the base to operate together seamlessly in the event of a real-world crisis.