Airmen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., tear down their air mobility forward support base at the edge of the Geronimo Landing Zone at Fort Polk, La., at the end of their Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 24, 2013. The CRW specializes in rapidly establishing air mobility support operations in disaster-stricken, austere or hostile environments in response to natural disasters or combat operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
Airmen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., shelter from the dust of a departing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter as they tear down their air mobility forward support base on the edge of the Geronimo Landing Zone at Fort Polk, La., at the end of their Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 24, 2013. The CRW specializes in rapidly establishing air mobility support operations in disaster-stricken, austere or hostile environments in response to natural disasters or combat operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
Maj. Mike Welch, an air mobility liaison officer from the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., assigned to the U.S. Army’s 1st Theatre Sustainment Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., calls in drop zone instructions to a waiting C-130 Hercules circling over the ‘Strike’ Drop Zone at Fort Polk, La., Aug. 17, 2013 during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09. Air Mobility Command AMLOs are rated pilots or navigators assigned to U.S. Army and Marine units who coordinate with their joint and coalition partners for air mobility services provided by the U.S Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
A Canadian Royal Air Force C-130J Hercules passes over the ‘Strike’ Drop Zone at Fort Polk, La., Aug. 16, 2013. The aircraft was conducting a joint airdrop training mission with the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Royal New Zealand Air Force and U.S. Air Force Airmen based at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
A Canadian Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster II passes over the ‘Strike’ Drop Zone at Fort Polk, La., Aug. 17, 2013. The aircraft was conducting a joint airdrop training mission with the Royal New Zealand Air Force and U.S. Air Force Airmen based at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
Airmen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., build their air mobility forward support base as a Canadian Royal Air Force C-130J Hercules stops in a cloud of dust at Geronimo Landing Zone on Fort Polk, La. during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 19, 2013. The CRW specializes in rapidly establishing air mobility support operations in disaster-stricken, austere or hostile environments in response to natural disasters or combat operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
A bundle attached to a high-speed parachute bounces after impacting the ‘Strike’ Drop Zone at Fort Polk, La., Aug. 17, 2013. The package was delivered by a Canadian Royal Air Force C-130J Hercules during a joint airdrop training mission with the Royal New Zealand Air Force and U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
Army paratroopers assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, N.C., descend in the darkness onto the Geronimo Drop Zone at Fort Polk as part of a mass airdrop that began the combat phase of Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 18, 2013. The Soldiers were responsible for taking and holding the airfield on Geronimo so aircraft could begin delivering heavy supplies and equipment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
Army infantrymen assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, N.C., wait in the darkness at the Geronimo Drop Zone on Fort Polk during a mass airdrop that began the ground combat phase of Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 18, 2013. The Soldiers were prepositioned to link up with the airdropping forces and begin the buildup of forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
Airmen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and U.S. Army Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C., coordinate cargo handling, inspection and aircraft loading operations at Alexandria International Airport, Alexandria, La. during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 19, 2013. JRTC scenarios allow complete integration of Air Force and other military services as well as host-nation and civilian role players. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
Lt. Col. Scott Lew, 570th Global Mobility Squadron director of operations, guides Airmen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., as they tear down their air mobility forward support base on Geronimo Landing Zone at Fort Polk, La. at the end of their Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 24, 2013. The CRW specializes in rapidly establishing air mobility support operations in disaster-stricken, austere or hostile environments in response to natural disasters or combat operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
From left: Senior Airman Chase Litvan, Staff Sgt. Josh Arias and Staff Sgt. Will Doherty, combat controllers from the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Fort Bragg, N.C. conduct air traffic control operations on the edge of the Geronimo Landing Zone at Fort Polk, La., during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 20, 2013. Combat controllers are special operations forces and certified FAA air traffic controllers whose mission is to deploy, undetected, into combat and hostile environments to establish assault zones or airfields, while simultaneously conducting air traffic control, fire support, command and control, direct action, counter-terrorism, foreign internal defense, humanitarian assistance, and special reconnaissance. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
Maj. Mike Welch, 621st Contingency Response Wing air mobility liaison officer assigned to the U.S. Army’s 1st Theatre Sustainment Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., sets up a marker for a waiting C-130 Hercules circling over the ‘Strike’ Drop Zone at Fort Polk, La., Aug. 17, 2013 during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09. Air Mobility Command AMLOs are rated pilots or navigators assigned to U.S. Army and Marine units who coordinate with their joint and coalition partners for air mobility services provided by the U.S Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
Senior Airman Chase Litvan, a U.S. Air Force combat controller from the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Fort Bragg, N.C. conducts air traffic control operations on the edge of the Geronimo Landing Zone at Fort Polk, La. during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 20, 2013. Combat controllers are special operations forces and certified FAA air traffic controllers whose mission is to deploy, undetected, into combat and hostile environments to establish assault zones or airfields, while simultaneously conducting air traffic control, fire support, command and control, direct action, counter-terrorism, foreign internal defense, humanitarian assistance, and special reconnaissance. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
Airmen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., work alongside Canadian Royal Air Force aerial port Airmen to load a vehicle onto a running CRAF C-130J Hercules at Alexandria International Airport, Alexandria, La. during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 21, 2013. The Canadian Royal Air Force provided both C-130J and C-17 Globemaster II aircraft to support the large combined forces exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
Capt. Kenneth Pedersen, a C-130H Hercules pilot assigned to the 61st Airlift Squadron, 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base Ark., waits for a storm to pass at Alexandria International Airport, Alexandria, La. during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 21, 2013. The aircraft was conducting coalition airlift operations with the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the Canadian Royal Air Force at Fort Polk in support of the 82nd Airborne Division. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)