621st CRW integrates with RCAF during JRTC Published March 3, 2017 By Staff Sgt. Robert Hicks 621st Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- It’s not every day U.S. Air Force units get the opportunity to completely integrate with coalition forces, but that’s exactly what happened during the Joint Readiness Training Center exercise at Alexandria International Airport, La. During the 10 day exercise the 621st Contingency Response Wing aerial port Airman worked as a cohesive unit with the Royal Canadian Air Force on loading and offloading cargo to support aircrew combat training in a realistic environment. “This is a rare opportunity in an exercise environment to conduct joint operations and learn from each other’s processes,” said Maj. Stephen Teeple, contingency response element commander. “It also allows us to build confidence in each other capabilities going forward in potential real-world situations.” Along with the 11 personnel integrated with the 621st CRW, the RCAF sent approximately 55 other members and two aircraft to participate in the exercise. “The Royal Canadian Air Force participates in one JRTC exercise a year and we usually only work on our own aircraft, but this year the U.S. Air Force reached out and offered to let us load their aircraft as well to allow more training opportunities for everyone,” said Sgt. Len Blazek, an RCAF Traffic Technician. Throughout the exercise the team loaded Humvees, pallet trains, airdrop bundles, airdrop platforms along with a number of other equipment to support the Army. “There are nuances that we’ve both picked up on while we worked together to load and offload the aircraft, but everything is so similar if we needed to flex over to do it their way it would be seamless,” Blazek said. Blazek went on to say participating in a large scale exercise like JRTC was an easy transition for them because of all the small scale exercises they participate in while in Canada. “This exercise has proved to be a validation of our interoperability between U.S. Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force aerial port operations,” Teeple said. “If the time comes where we have to work together in a deployed location, I would have no reservations that we would come together and accomplish the mission.” Throughout the exercise the aerial port team loaded and offloaded 101 C-130 Hercules and 21 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft missions and moved 282 short tons of cargo, as well as supporting the movement of 670 passengers.