Category: US Airforce

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.

Talon Shield centers on strengthening joint operational readiness and highlights the U.S. Air Force’s Air Force Force Generation, or AFFORGEN, model — a deliberate force presentation strategy designed to ensure mission-ready airmen are trained, equipped and deployable on demand. The 55th Wing is executing the exercise under a Strategic Deployable Combat Wing construct, demonstrating how smaller, agile teams can operate from distributed locations while remaining fully connected to the joint fight.

“We are grateful to our partners, the Royal Australian Air Force, for hosting our large contingent for Talon Shield,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Aaron Gray, 55th Wing commander. “We are learning from each other and demonstrating the ability to project power and deeply integrate anywhere on the globe. We are excited to be a part of such an expansive exercise demonstrating not only readiness, but the strength of our relationships.”

Two key partners joined the 55th Wing: the 319th Reconnaissance Wing from Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, and the 552nd Air Control Wing from Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Together, these wings deliver advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, airborne command and control, or C2, and electromagnetic warfare capabilities — key enablers in ensuring joint force superiority.

“Our integration with the 55th Wing and our Australian hosts underscores the real-world relevance of airborne battle management,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Kenneth J. Voigt Jr., 552nd Air Control Wing commander. “This exercise proves that our globe-spanning partnerships are more than symbolic; they are operationally decisive.”

Standing up a Strategic Deployable Combat Wing model in Australia demanded meticulous planning, cross-unit synchronization and a united logistics effort spanning three major wings across the continental United States. The combination of these three critical wings delivers unique capabilities and complex support requirements, which the team merged into a single, agile, forward-deployed force package.

The 55th Wing coordinated the deployment of nearly 200 personnel across multiple specialties essential to the mission, including aircraft maintenance, operations, intelligence, communications, security forces, logistics and personnel support. This diverse team formed the backbone of the Strategic Deployable Combat Wing, ensuring 24/7 operational readiness upon arrival.

Alongside the personnel deployment, the wing moved more than 55 tons of cargo — including mission-critical systems, maintenance equipment, aircraft support tools, communications infrastructure and sustainment supplies. Load plans, cargo tracking and customs documentation were meticulously executed to align international movements and ensure seamless setup at RAAF Base Edinburgh.

“Agile operations require more than speed; they require precision, trust and disciplined coordination,” Voigt said. “What we accomplished here wasn’t just a movement of forces; it was a demonstration of how strategic planning and interoperability give us the edge in contested environments.”

The scale of this deployment required inter-theater coordination, including direct collaboration with the U.S. Transportation Command, Pacific Air Forces logistics planners and Australian base support teams. Lodging, local transportation, in-country movement of mission assets and 24/7 sustainment operations were pre-planned in close partnership with the RAAF, whose responsiveness and interoperability were essential to mission success.

Moreover, leveraging RAAF systems and infrastructure, from flightline equipment and communication systems to cargo handling, allowed the U.S. team to remain agile and minimize its footprint, further proving the effectiveness of allied integration in contested and resource-constrained environments.

“This was a full-scale logistical operation that spanned hemispheres,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Alfred Rosales, 319th Reconnaissance Wing commander. “Our ability to seamlessly arrive, set-up and operate with the RAAF shows what allied nation integration looks like in action. It’s not theory, it’s a capability realized.”

This operation wasn’t just about transportation and the timeline; it was about building a combat-ready team, fully integrated and postured to execute the mission from Day One. Across the Pacific, every moving piece — from aircraft and equipment to fuel plans and lodging — was orchestrated to ensure airmen could arrive, plug in and immediately contribute to the fight. That level of precision and purpose is what defines the 55th Wing’s approach to combat preparation.

“Standing up a Strategic Deployable Combat Wing takes relentless focus and a warfighter mindset from every Airman involved,” Gray said. “We mobilized, arrived ready, integrated with the BMC2 enterprise, other ISR assets and allies. We delivered a large force package of decisive airpower.”

This level of integration, complexity and speed demonstrates that the AFFORGEN model is not just a concept; it’s a reality in motion. Through Talon Shield, the 55th Wing and its partners are proving that globally integrated, rapidly deployable and interoperable airpower is not only possible, but operationally decisive.