Reserve units support civilian agencies during Patriot Hook Exercise

by Senior Master Sgt. Minnie Jones
433rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

4/29/2014 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND -- The 433rd Airlift Wing's C-5A Galaxy was the first on the scene in support of the Air Force Reserve Command's Patriot Hook Exercise 2014, April 23-28 at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.

Patriot Hook is an annual AFRC-sponsored exercise that integrates federal agencies with the military, while focusing on making the most of command and support, training, integration and practicing mobilizations to disasters and emergencies worldwide.

Although North Island was the main base for operations, the exercise also encompassed the Joint Forces Training Center at Los Alamitos and the Naval Auxiliary Landing Field on San Clemente Island.

AFRC units in this year's exercise were the 433rd Airlift Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas; 445th AW, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; 452nd Air Mobility Wing, March Air Reserve Base, Calif. and the 512th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base, Del.

Affiliates in this year's exercise were the San Diego Border Patrol, Search, Trauma, and Rescue; the FBI Rapid Deployment Team, Los Angeles; U.S. Army 9th Civil Support Team from Los Alamitos, Calif.; Federal Emergency Management Agency California Task Forces, 2, 4, 5 and 25, and the 147th Combat Communications Squadron, California Air National Guard, San Diego, Calif.

The 433rd Airlift Control Flight was the lead agency for the exercise and managed, coordinated and controlled air mobility assets. When deployed, the 433rd ALCF becomes a Contingency Response Element. The element consists of aerial port; aerospace ground equipment; loadmasters; personnel and command post personnel.
Once on the ground, the element began setting up command and control on the bare-base section of North Island to provide aircrew management, aircraft flight following, maintenance of aircraft, and the loading and unloading of aircraft.

"Although we do this (Patriot Hook) every year, this gives us an opportunity for what they call, The Rainbow Concept, of partnering with our sister units and our new personnel to exercise our mission," said Maj. Robert M. Acosta, 433rd ALCF and Contingency Response Element commander.

"So even though it's the same in a name, it is always a different mission; with different people and different challenges, it's a continual improvement process of shaping and honing our combat skills," said Acosta. "It gives us an opportunity to refine our mission essential tasks, and teaches us what it will take to support a real-world mission."

Early in the exercise, 433rd AW loadmasters and aerial porters immediately began performing calculations and plans for cargo and passenger placement on the C-5A for transport. Some of the cargo transported, were equipment and cargo from the FBI's Rapid Deployment Team.

Before participating in the exercise, the FBI's RDT and other affiliates had to attend an affiliate's training course, which covered certain items such as, pallet build-up, weighing and marking vehicles, organizing a load team, aircraft familiarization, certifying hazmat for air shipment and manifesting passengers and equipment for transport on military aircraft.

During the exercise, affiliates were exposed to the Air Forces' way of moving personnel and cargo. The exercise tested their preparation for loading cargo and their requirements for loading their passengers on military aircraft, specifically, the C-5A and the C-17A Globemaster III.

"The purpose of this exercise for the RTD is to validate training and practice deploying a large team to mimic an OCONUS deployment," said John Harker, FBI RDT supervisory, special agent.

"We are responsible for the Pacific Rim area, so we are partnered with the 452nd Airlift Wing at March Air Reserve Base, to deploy OCONUS whenever we need to," said Harker. "We take part in the load planning process - we actually do the load plans, weigh out the equipment and ensure we are incompliance with the Air Force."

"The FBI's Rapid Deployment Teams are often called out to do stuff all over the world, in fact, the flight MH370 that was lost in Malaysia. This team here received a call, and they were on standby to fly out there and assist the Malaysians to determine as to what may have happened to that airplane," said Lt. Col. Gordon J. Griggs, HQ AFRC A3OM Readiness and Programs branch chief, Robins AFB, Ga.

"When they receive a call, they may have to take a bunch of equipment and personnel, if you can image someone calling you and asking you to be there tomorrow - we are the only ones in town that can do that," said Griggs. "The military has the capability to comply with such a challenge."

"We couldn't do our job without the assistance of DOD - it's a great partnership and it's one of the most valuable assets we have in performing RTD's mission," Harker said.

Patriot Hook Exercise 2014 concluded on April 28, with the uploading of passengers and cargo on the aircraft once again, but this time headed back home.