Trident Juncture: 143rd Airlift Wing supports key NATO exercise

by Master Sgt. Janeen Miller
143rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

10/23/2015 - North Kingstown, Rhode Island -- Two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft and 28 Airmen from the 143rd Airlift Wing departed for Spain this week in support of NATO's Exercise Trident Juncture.

The Airmen departed from Quonset Air National Guard Base, North Kingstown, Rhode Island, October 19 and included personnel from a cross-section of operational, support and maintenance specialties.

The largest NATO exercise in over a decade, Trident Juncture is a European Command supported, NATO led exercise slated to involve 33 countries performing maneuver warfare, amphibious assault and other large-scale combat practice in Portugal, Spain and Italy. Trident Juncture will involve 36,000 troops in more than 230 units, 140 aircraft, and 60 ships. The participant nations will be focusing on information sharing, threat prediction, mobility and adaptability of forces, identifying areas that need built-in resiliency, strategic communications and each nation's security network.  Exercise Trident Juncture aims to train the troops of the NATO Response Force (NRF) and other Allied forces, to increase their readiness to respond to a wide range of challenges. It will ensure that they can work seamlessly together, collaborate with partners, and engage in crisis response together with international organizations.

The 143rd Airlift Wing is the only Air National Guard unit and the only United States Air Force mobility unit participating in the exercise. The aircraft and Airmen from the 143rd will participate in several tactical missions including coalition personnel airdrops, the resupply of forward operating bases and will be providing key logistical support for the exercise.

The exercise runs from October 3 to November 6, 2015. The first part of the exercise, from Oct. 3-16, tested command and control elements of the NRF and highlight NATO's ability to work with external actors. The second part, from Oct. 21-Nov. 6, is a live exercise, hosted by Italy, Portugal and Spain.