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HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. – A U-28A Draco unit conducted a base exercise near Hurlburt Field, Florida, March 24-28, 2025.
The exercise was part of the Special Operations Force Generation model and tested the squadron’s ability to generate airpower in an austere environment.
“We want to see where our gaps and seams are in our readiness so we can adjust our training plan and work to train against those gaps,” said a U-28A squadron commander. “We want to give these Airmen an opportunity to have an experience that prepares them for what they're going to encounter when they go overseas.”
The exercise focused on evaluating the unit’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, both tactically and organizationally, to ensure they can present a force prepared to conduct operations in any situation.
For the first time, the unit integrated with a specialized team assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing equipped with the expertise to operate in unpredictable environments. The team includes a variety of Airmen capable of building a base from the ground up.
Within hours an open field was transformed into a functional base camp, providing the essential resources for efficient operations.
“We're used to performing out of a main operating base with all the people, personnel, and equipment we need to make an operation happen,” said the team’s mission commander for the exercise. “Now we're having to learn from scratch what the bare necessities are and how to move them.”
Integrating with these experts allowed the U-28 unit to assess their existing capabilities, identify additional resources to provide those capabilities and what they can ask for to accomplish the mission, according to the commander.
“Agile Combat Employment is an inherent part of the U-28 mission. We train to forward deploy out of main bases, and it is essential to get reps in, so the team is prepared when the time comes,” he continued. “This is a great window into U-28 capability -- how quickly we can operate and how we can find ways to do it faster and better.”
Through trainings like this, units are better able to identify areas of improvement prior to the validation exercise later this year, a requirement to be deployable, according to the commander.
“This is an opportunity for us to test the processes we have in place and adjust them on our day-to-day basis so when we do employ in an agile way, those processes are already in place,” the commander stated. “We use what we already know works and transplant that into a new environment.”
The deliberate development of Air Commandos extends beyond the refinement of operational procedures, it’s equally important for unit members to prepare for mental and physical challenges that may arise.
“Practicing these skills is crucial because real-world stress—heat, gear weight and exhaustion—affects performance,” the team’s mission commander said. “Understanding your stress reactions and team interactions are essential. The time we have to deal with the worst situations shouldn't be the first time we've gone through that sort of stress. We must get familiar with it before we actually step for a real mission.”
The SOFORGEN model has multiple phases designed to enhance readiness and predictability for Airmen, providing time for practice, adjustment and validation before real-world execution.
“This team-building exercise and presentation of forces gives us the opportunity to build a very effective team, and when it comes to the validation exercise we'll be fully prepared to go forward and execute our mission,” the commander said.
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2025 15:36 |
| Story ID: | 497305 |
| Location: | HURLBURT FIELD, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U-28A Draco unit hones skills during SOFORGEN exercise, by SrA Deanna Muir, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
