MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – The 167th Airlift Wing combined June and July drill weekends into an extended, four-day unit training assembly June 9-12.
The “super drill” allowed Airmen more time to focus on job-specific training and readiness requirements.
Chief Master Sgt. Jody Miller, 167th Deployment and Distribution Flight chief, organized the extended Unit Training Assembly schedule.
Participants conducted job-specific training, then turned to big-ticket items like chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training, Tactical Combat Casualty Care and weapons qualifications.
“I saw a lot of training get accomplished here over super drill,” Miller said. “I saw safety training to explosive handling, forklift training to water survival, communications training to health care. I saw a mini exercise conducted from the planning stage, through the logistics planning stage into the traffic management office and then air transportation, out to the operations phase and then loading onto an aircraft.”
The 167th Logistics Readiness Squadron processed one part of the Mobility Readiness Spares Package as part of its job-specific training. MRSP kits support aircraft downrange.
“We palletized everything here and took it to the small air terminal and got to see how they prepared it for deployment and then released it to the loadmasters for loading onto the plane,” said Senior Airman Summer Wilson. “It was good for us to see that process from the beginning.”
Aircraft maintainers and aircrew used the extra training to put on personal protective gear and practice their duties in a simulated contaminated environment.
“The training brought to light issues that you wouldn’t see without putting on the gear,” said Senior Airman William Gossard, a crew chief for the 167th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. “We started sweating immediately, the fatigue kicked in and then the struggles with the carbon mitts on top of two layers of gloves makes it challenging going through our normal tasks.”
Services specialists with the 167th Force Support Squadron set up a single pallet expeditionary kitchen outside the dining facility and served lunch to 167th Airmen.
“Setting up the tent and making the food was good practice,” said Airman Skylar Bingaman. “Super drill is beneficial because it gives us perspective on other people’s jobs and they can see what we do.”
The extended training concluded with a wing photo on the flight line, squadron picnics and fitness and morale activities.
“Super drill was successfully planned and executed. There is always room to be better, but the important thing is that we came together as a team and ended as a team,” said Miller.