MALBORK AIR BASE, Poland – The 116th Air Control Squadron assigned to Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center, Oregon, and the 128th ACS out of Volk Field Air National Guard Base, Wisconsin, supplied personnel to the 606th ACS at Aviano Air Base, Italy, during exercise Astral Knight 20.
When members of the U.S. Air National Guard deploy downrange, they work side by side with active-duty service members.
Developing strong relationships for total force integration is key to mission success.
At exercise Astral Knight 20 in Poland, members of the 116th, 128th, and 606th Air Control Squadrons got the chance to practice for the real thing.
“From day one, working with the 606th ACS has been great,” said U.S. Air National Guard Master Sgt. James Mueller, 128th ACS cyber transport. “It’s been a seamless transition.”
Members of all three squadrons came together at Malbork Air Base, Poland, for AK20.
“We couldn’t have done this exercise without [the 116th and 128th ACS],” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Richard Fox, 606th ACS deployed radar site lead. “The knowledge and experience they brought helped us stand up this deployed radar site.”
Air Control Squadrons are made up of several unique Air Force specialty codes. During AK20, Air National Guard members integrated with their active-duty AFSC counterparts to learn from one another.
“Knowledge sharing has been one of the main opportunities here,” Mueller said. “It’s always great to see how another Air Control Squadron operates.”
Due to international COVID-19 restrictions, the path from the U.S. had a few more obstacles for the 116th and 128th ACS.
“[There was] a lot of work behind the scenes,” Mueller said. “We certainly had to do our homework. We’re just happy it all came together.”
As AK20 winds down, the squadrons look toward the future.
“The interpersonal relationships we’ve built here will pay dividends down the road,” Fox said.