Patriot Hook's a joint success

  • Published
  • By Capt. Caroline Lorimer
  • 452nd Air Mobility Wing PA
Patriot Hook, a large-scale air mobility and contingency response exercise, took place in mid July for five days. An exercise that tests the viability of coordinated security, disaster and medical response operations, it involved more than 300 people who moved approximately one and one-half million pounds of cargo from three separate operating locations.

The players in this joint exercise came from the Navy, Army, Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Air Force Reserve Airlift Control Flights from March ARB, Lackland Air Force Base and McChord AFB.

"It was one of the largest exercises involving three ALCFs," said Master Sgt. Gerardo Zuniga, Mission Support Team Chief, 452nd ALCF. "The Airlift Control Flights were able to train on such a big scale it was almost proportional to a theater movement."

Three Tanker Airlift Control Elements were deployed to three separate locations in Calif: San Clemente Island Navy Auxiliary Landing Field, North Island Naval Air Station and March ARB.

Patriot Hook brings academic training to life. Throughout the year all the affiliate organizations receive training on how to prepare and what needs to be accomplished in order to get them moved to where they need to be with all of their equipment.

"They actually get to apply what they've learned from their classes into real world situations," said Senior Master Sgt. Edwin Perkins, superintendent of the TALCE, 452nd ALCF.

The Three TALCEs moved Boston Whaler boats, ambulances, wreckers, dump trucks, flat bed trucks and more on C-17 Globemaster IIIs, KC-135 Stratotankers and C-5 Galaxys.

"On a scale of one to ten, it was a ten," said Sergeant Perkins.

Patriot Hook began in the early '90s in response to limited training opportunities and has since become an annual event.

"It allows affiliates to practice mobilization, air deployment, train in a realistic environment, practice force protection and it's great for morale," said Lt. Col. Buck Kaplan, 452nd ALCF commander.

According to Sergeant Perkins, the 2007 Patriot Hook was flawless and all the goals and objectives were met, plus some.

"The best part of the exercise was giving [the affiliates] the training they needed to get their equipment and personnel out of town, said Sergeant Perkins.

"I loved it. My favorite part of the job is getting people out of town," said Sergeant Zuniga. "I'm really looking forward to next year."