JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii —

In an endeavor to understand the challenges and tyranny of the Pacific theater, Air Mobility Command has completed phase one of Mobility Guardian 2023. The exercise fosters interoperability between allies and partners as well as joint forces, in the maneuver of more than 15,000 U.S. and international forces associated with other exercises across the Indo-Pacific.

Headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, the Exercise Control Group is made up of dozens of exercise planners partnered with Air Force, joint and international units. One of the many units includes a team of U.S. Marine Air and Ground Task Force planners, Sgt. Heather Dilcher, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and Lance Cpl. Veronica Huerta, 1 Marine Expeditionary Force.

“The Marine Corps happens to be performing exercises in theater at the same time and we needed a lift in order to move our people out into theater and conduct our exercises,” explained Dilcher. “Within the confines of the Mobility Guardian Exercise, the Air Force has a lot of moving parts, and a lot of available aircraft.”

Through months of coordination, the 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base, California, was able to provide a C-5M Super Galaxy to support the Marine Corps missions; a team effort that required continuous communication.

The C-5 has the capacity to hold more than 281,000 pounds and can fly farther than 2,500 nautical miles without aerial refueling, making it an essential asset across the Department of Defense.

“This is my first time working jointly in this type of capacity, and I think it’s been going really well,” said Dilcher. “The commander here has been really receptive to us working here. He’s ensured we are involved in everything we need to be involved in and that we have all the equipment and space we need to conduct our mission.”

The MAGTAF planning team coordinated with the helicopter’s home station and the 60th AMW to ensure all the cargo was prepped and ready to go when the C-5 arrived. Preparation included removing and folding the aircrafts rotors to ensure multiple would fit inside the Super Galaxy.

“It was a pretty simple process,” said Senior Airman Christopher Medina, 2nd Airlift Squadron loadmaster. “The Marines knew exactly what to do and how to set up all their cargo. Because of their preparation, it was really easy for us to pull [the helicopters] in.”

Joint force interoperability is an essential element of modern warfare. By working together seamlessly, the U.S. and its allies and partners can protect their interests and promote peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific, and the rest of the world.