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ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE BASE WOODBOURNE, New Zealand -- U.S. Air Force aircraft load up for their first mission during Exercise Southern Katipo (SK17), here, Oct. 20.
A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 249th Airlift Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, kicked off the exercise with multi-leg missions transporting personnel and cargo throughout New Zealand.
Southern Katipo is a biannual, multinational military training exercise conducted in New Zealand, designed to improve combat training, readiness and interoperability among allied and partner nations. U.S. Airmen participate with service members from New Zealand, Australia, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Brunei, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Canada, France and Britain.
"This is my first opportunity to participate in exercise Southern Katipo," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Tim Stone, a loadmaster assigned to the 249th Airlift Squadron. “Exercises like Southern Katipo give my crew the experience and the opportunity to test our skills alongside our partners in an unfamiliar environment that allows us to learn and grow on the spot.”
The U.S. Air Force aircraft will assist with moving personnel and cargo on the south and north islands of New Zealand as part of the exercise. SK17 is designed to improve participating forces’ combat training, readiness and interoperability as part of the joint inter-agency task force (JIATF). Exercise Southern Katipo 2017 involves more than 3000 troops as well as six helicopters, 17 fixed-wing military aircraft, five Naval ships and more than 100 military vehicles.
| Date Taken: | 10.21.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2021 05:43 |
| Story ID: | 407668 |
| Location: | WOODBOURNE, NZ |
| Web Views: | 113 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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