Category: Security

“We’ve seen amazing global teamwork completing an incredible lift to kick off REFORPAC,” said Gen. Kevin Schneider, PACAF commander. “Airmen have innovated and overcome tough obstacles to get critical pieces in place, demonstrating our collective capability to project decisive air power into and throughout the Indo-Pacific with dramatic speed and scale.”

The U.S. Air Force, alongside its joint allies and partners, will continue to train and integrate over the next several weeks, enhancing interoperability and readiness across the Pacific theater. REFORPAC is part of the first-in-a-generation Department-Level Exercise series, a new way the Air Force is exercising to conduct large operations in contested, dynamic environments. The aim is to improve interoperability and multilateral cooperation, leading to a stronger, more capable, deterrent force.

The DLE series encompasses all branches of the Department of Defense, along with allies and partners, employing approximately 400 U.S. and coalition aircraft and more than 12,000 members at more than 50 locations spanning 3,000 miles.

The monumental effort is made possible by extensive planning and coordination efforts throughout the Air Force, along with joint, allied and partner forces, which have shown the ready ability of combined joint forces to mobilize in great numbers for any contingency. In lockstep with PACAF, Air Mobility Command has provided critical airlift, air refueling and command and control capabilities to project, connect, maneuver and sustain joint forces.

“We’re witnessing a complex operation in the Indo-Pacific driven by logistics – rapid, deliberate and mission-driven,” said Brig. Gen. Athanasia Shinas, mobilization assistant to PACAF’s director of logistics. “Our Total Force concept is critical to this capability, leveraging the unparalleled expertise and diverse talent drawn from every industry and sector of society through our Guard and Reserve. This integration creates extraordinary opportunities to strengthen our Total Force and coalition Airmen.”

Airmen are exercising robust contested logistics and engineering capabilities, sustainment over vast distances, fuel resupply and access to forward operating locations.

“This is a logistical movement at an unprecedented scale – an explosive surge into the theater driven by precision and a resilient joint network,” said Brig. Gen. Mike Zuhlsdorf, PACAF director of logistics, engineering and force protection. “What makes it exceptional is the partnership with local leaders abroad, as well as infrastructure; their participatory enthusiasm has turned REFORPAC into a truly integrated regional effort. This support brings essential access and shared purpose to an extraordinary training landscape.”

The tested Agile Combat Employment operational strategy, used to support joint operations, has prepared sites throughout the theater. ACE preparations have included shoring up building infrastructure and ensuring a constant flow of critical supplies, all to facilitate uninterrupted mission execution during the exercise.

“PACAF continually seeks to improve our readiness to respond to any contingency, defend the interests of the United States and work closely together with our allies and partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Schneider said.

One team assembled at City West Church in Kerrville, partnering with Mercy Chefs to organize and distribute hot meals. Three additional groups were dispatched to Hunt to assist with debris removal and participate in search and recovery operations in flood-damaged areas.

“We partnered with Heroes for Humanity, the Mexican National Fire Department, and local rescue teams, including K-9 units, to help bring closure to families in the wake of this tragedy,” said Master Sgt. Nicholas Galbraith, 33rd Cyberspace Operations Squadron flight chief.

“It was incredibly moving to see our Airmen volunteer their personal time to come out and serve. Efforts like this strengthen our bonds, not just within the unit, but with the community,” Galbraith said. “Our presence matters. We want these families to know they’re not alone, and that the Air Force is here for them, standing alongside them during their time of loss.”

The response was part of a broader effort following the catastrophic flash floods that struck the Texas Hill Country on July 4-5. According to news reports, 130 people died, including 103 in Kerr County alone, with around 160 others still missing.

At the direction of Galbraith, Joint Base San Antonio mobilized volunteers from across multiple units to assist in the recovery and support efforts.

At City West Church, JBSA personnel partnered with Mercy Chefs, a nonprofit organization specializing in feeding disaster victims and first responders. The Airmen worked side by side with civilian volunteers to prep meals, organize donations, and provide emotional and spiritual care to anyone who needed it.

“Mercy Chefs was founded nearly 20 years ago in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,” said Gary LeBlanc, CEO and founder of the organization. “We provide high-quality, chef-prepared meals to victims, volunteers and first responders, both across the country and around the world.”

LeBlanc said his team had been vacationing and picnicking over the holiday when they saw the flooding and immediately mobilized.

“We were able to deploy quickly and got our first meals out by Saturday night, most of which went directly to the rescue teams that had started responding on Friday,” LeBlanc said.

The arrival of Air Force personnel on Friday provided a significant boost to their efforts.

“When the Air Force came in today, it was a game changer,” LeBlanc said. “They were incredibly sharp, followed instructions, were proactive, and immediately integrated into the operation. It was an amazing lift for us. We prepared nearly 4,000 meals just today.”

“We saw people truly struggling as they worked to recover and heal,” said Maj. Todd Leathermon, chaplain with the 59th Medical Wing. “There was a clear need, and this gave us a chance to use the skills we’ve gained both through Air Force training and our ministry experience before joining the military. Whether it’s providing spiritual and emotional support, helping prepare meals, or simply being present, we’re here to care for them.”

Meanwhile, in Hunt, three JBSA-led teams entered flood-damaged zones to help clear debris and aid in search and recovery efforts.

“I’ve always wanted to join special forces, and this is great experience for me as I plan to cross-train in that field,” said Staff Sgt. Roberto Castro, with the 426th Cyberspace Operations Squadron. “I’ve been through several hurricanes so I understand how devastating they can be. I just thought, why not help out where I can?”

Though the tasks varied — from chopping vegetables to hauling debris — the heart behind the mission remained the same.

Throughout the day, chaplains remained available to volunteers and locals, ready to offer a listening ear or a quiet moment of spiritual care.

“It’s been incredible to see all levels of government come together from our local law enforcement, military members, and even our brethren from Mexican emergency services to help bring closure to families,” said Master Sgt. James Newcomb, superintendent of cyber support operations. “For me, it’s meaningful because this is my duty. As military members, it’s our job to give back to the community — to help, serve, protect, support and defend the American people.” 

Throughout the CRI, AMC inspectors general and wing inspection team members evaluated the 317th AW’s execution of deployment operations. Airmen were tasked to rapidly generate aircraft, process cargo and mission plan while also completing the associated administrative and medical requirements.

“The key to success in this CRI is our ‘we’re going’ mindset,” Castillo said. “Our Airmen understand that our culture is rooted in being prepared to deploy at a moment’s notice to execute high-end operations around the world.”

Upon receiving the CRI deployment order, Airmen staged pallets and equipment for transport, loaded C-130J Super Hercules aircraft and prepared aircrews for maximum endurance operations, ensuring the 317th AW performed mission execution upon notification.

“Our Airmen consistently meet and exceed our expectations,” Diehl said. “They think and move fast, maintaining the precision required to respond to global operations in contested environments. The CRI was another opportunity to highlight the effort they put in every day.”

The 317th AW used the CRI to prepare to participate in the Air Force’s Department Level Exercise, an initiative designed to demonstrate the service’s readiness for complex, large-scale military operations.

“This wing operates at the leading edge,” Diehl said. “Through the CRI, our Airmen demonstrated their ability through their advanced training to solve challenges in an increasingly complex global environment.

The completion of the initial phase of the CRI underscores the 317th AW’s ability to generate and employ combat-ready airpower at a moment’s notice. The milestone reinforces the wing’s ‘we’re going’ mindset and highlights its vital role in delivering rapid global mobility and ensuring U.S. and coalition forces can respond to known and emerging threats decisively and effectively.