Yokota Air Base, Japan -- Thousands of Airmen from across the 374th Airlift Wing completed the nine-day long exercise BEVERLY MORNING 23-1, commonly known as the Samurai Readiness Inspection, an operational readiness exercise designed to test wing-wide capabilities from Oct. 11 to 19.
The exercise is a base-level training event that evaluates the wing’s response to a simulated series of practical wartime and contingency crisis scenarios.
“This is a test of how well our team can perform our rapid airlift mission,” said Col. Andrew Roddan, 374th Airlift Wing commander. “Individual units train and prepare for mission readiness year-round, but exercises like this one allow us the chance to see how everyone’s training meshes together in a high-stress environment.”
Major base components demonstrated critical skills necessary during conflicts, such as the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron performing rapid airfield damage repair, the 374th Medical group conducting mass casualty triage with roughly 400 participants, and the 374th Security Forces Squadron repelling combatants while maintaining overall base security.
The 36th and 459th Airlift Squadrons executed over 130 flight hours including exercising combat cargo drops and aeromedical evacuation drills, involving roughly 98,000 pounds of cargo and 123 passengers.
Supporting units bolstered ongoing critical airlift mission efforts by providing mission coordination, aircraft generation, ground transport, readying exercise deployers and cargo, and making a variety of services available for Airmen during the inspection exercise.
“Every Airman is vital in a crisis situation,” Roddan said. “This is why we put units together in this exercise so they can do more than simply demonstrate technical proficiency. They can learn from each other and figure out how to execute mission sets smarter and faster.”
The wing’s mission to “project the Joint Force through agile airlift and support operations across the Indo-Pacific” is a key component of the Pacific Air Force’s strategic mission to deter aggression and promote regional stability, security and peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
“It’s grueling to have all hands-on deck for days at a time, but Team Yokota has proven that they can rise to the challenge, and I thank everyone for making this mission happen,” said Roddan.