JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Exercise Polar Force 19-4 has come to an end as Airmen from units across Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson applied their expertise to a variety of mission scenarios.
Polar Force is a biannual two-week exercise designed to test JBER’s mission readiness. In this iteration, Airmen from the 673d Air Base Wing, 3rd Wing, 176th Wing and 477th Fighter Group participated in an assortment of demanding situations designed to demonstrate their ability to survive and operate in adverse conditions.
“This is the first time in six years that all Air Force units on the base have exercised together, making this a massive undertaking with a lot of valuable insight,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Patricia Csànk, commander of JBER and the 673d ABW. “At the wing level, we need to clearly understand all partner requirements so we are disciplined and ready to respond to whatever the mission calls for.”
Airmen practiced self-aid and buddy care, unexploded ordnance training, rapid deployment, runway repair, aircraft launching and building security during the exercise, as well as less common scenarios such as Noncombatant Evacuation Operations and hospital expansion.
“We are already planning for the fall Polar Force. Exercises are important to connecting the dots between readiness and lethality, and finding our gaps and blind spots so we can be smarter in the way we employ our resources,” Csànk said. “It’s how I know that if something were to happen right now, JBER is without question ready to respond.”
Polar Force not only tested the Airmen’s ability to respond to trying situations, but also put the 3rd WG and 477th FG to the ultimate test of air superiority during the largest known F-22 Raptor “elephant walk” in history.
JBER Airmen demonstrated combat agility in generating and launching 24 F-22s, a C-17 Globemaster III and an E-3 Sentry.
“What the exercise does for us is give us the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to pack up our squadrons, our Airmen and our aircraft, and deploy to another location to deliver that combat air power where it’s needed,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Krellner, the 3rd Operations Group deputy commander. “It takes an immense amount of logistical resources, support resources, to pull together an organization such as an F-22 squadron or an E-3 squadron to get them out the door.”
Alaska’s 176th WG, one of the nation’s busiest Air National Guard wings, tested its readiness capabilities during a super drill weekend – a combination of several drill weekends allowing Guardsmen the ability to support active duty exercises like Polar Force.
“That’s why these types of exercises are so valuable: They help ensure the Alaska Air National Guard can deploy, on very short notice, a powerful force capable of delivering overwhelming combat power in support of U.S. interests anywhere in the Pacific theater,” said Alaska Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Darrin Slaten, the 176th WG commander. “It’s inspiring to see these highly trained, highly motivated men and women come together as a team to ensure that we are ready to respond when our nation calls.”