ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - Airmen from the 168th Wing supported the Agile Reaper exercise, providing combat refueling to 3rd Air Expeditionary Wing F-22 Raptors and airlift for cargo and passenger assets traveling from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, to Guam and locations across the Pacific.
As part of the collaborative April exercise, the 168th Wing Airmen projected airpower across the Indo-Pacific region while employing agile combat force capabilities.
The Agile Reaper exercise underscores the U.S. commitment to upholding the security and stability of the Pacific region. It operates on a hub-and-spoke concept, with an operations center, or hub, at Andersen Air Force Base and four dispersed locations acting as the spokes, collectively projecting power.
The 168th Wing expanded operations throughout the region, refueling multiple sorties across the hub-and-spoke operations, allowing aircraft to fly further distances. The austere environments where the Airmen conducted operations during the exercise required adaptability on the fly.
“While operating in the agile combat environment, flexibility is key to sustaining operations,” said Col. Benjamin Doyle, 168th Operations Group commander. “Our Airmen are force multipliers and demonstrate the skills and strengths required to adapt and carry out operations in austere environments from the cold of the Arctic to the heat of the South Pacific and beyond.”
Through the Total Force integration of Air National Guard, Regular Air Force active duty members, and Air Force reservists, the Airmen who participated in the Agile Reaper exercise honed their skills as mission-ready Airmen in an operational environment. The exercise tested the force’s ability to conduct operations when implementing agile combat employment.
“This collaborative effort is a testament to the strength and effectiveness of our military strategy,” said Doyle. “We train together in exercises like Agile Reaper to fight together as one cohesive Air Expeditionary Wing.”
Strategic competitors are increasingly threatening regional interests across the Indo-Pacific. The 168th Wing is partnering with the 3rd Wing and engaging with local communities in the Indo-Pacific to resolve these challenges by relying on each other’s strengths to improve interoperability and mutual understanding.