FORT HOOD, Texas -In the Army, Soldiers are continuously training - training on their weapons, physical fitness training, safety training among many other types.
Soldiers assigned to Battery A, Field Artillery Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment took part in a less common type of training Oct. 16 at Robert Gray Army Airfield - an emergency deployment readiness exercise.
The training was a combined effort between the Army and the Air Force's 317th Operations Support Squadron out of Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas.
"This training is very important," said 1st Sgt. George Salonga, the senior enlisted advisor for Btry. A, FA Sqdn., 3rd Cav. Regt. "It not only prepares the FA side of the house, but the combination of the working relationship between the Air Force and the United States Army."
Although each force had a different obligation to the overall mission, it tested the capabilities and readiness of both.
"They're [3CR] here getting level 3 EDRE capabilities, so they can fly away their equipment," said Capt. Nicholas Collins, an air mobility liaison officer assigned to the 615th Contingency Operations Support Group. "This is also training for the [Air Force] loadmasters on loading abnormal equipment," added the Army air lift expert.
Service members were given 72 hours to have two M777 howitzers loaded on to a C130J aircraft and be en route to their destination.
For 3CR Soldiers, the closing window of time consisted of many recall and accountability formations, loading their bags and being on standby.
"This serves as a check on learning," said Maj. Mark Geisler, the 1st Cavalry Division future operations emergency deployment readiness exercise actions officer in the G-3 cell. "It ensures that they are ready to get out of here in a timely manner ... bottom-line is ensuring Soldier readiness."
Geisler said the FA unit is on 'be prepared to deploy orders' which is similar to a quick reaction force.
"This is the heart of mission readiness, being ready to deploy," Geisler said. "This is it. If you can complete your EDRE within the specified amount of time, then you're a success at mission readiness."
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