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Airmen from the 21st Air Task Force honed their expeditionary readiness during exercise CHAOS RISING at the Combat Support Training Range at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, May 4 – 12, 2025.
The exercise—aligned with the “prepare” phase of the Air Force Force Generation
model—simulated real-world operations in austere conditions with limited logistical
support. Airmen practiced Agile Combat Employment tactics designed to increase
combat resilience, strengthen global deterrence, and complicate adversary planning.
“Our hope is that Airmen learn they are more than just their Air Force Specialty Codes,”
said Col. Thomas Walsh, 21st ATF commander. “They are part of something bigger
when they come together as multi-functional teams.”
The training brought together Airmen from Dyess AFB, Robins AFB, Moody AFB, Joint
Base Charleston, and medical personnel from Eglin AFB to form the core of the 21st
Combat Air Base Squadron—21st ATF’s primary base operations support unit.
“I’m grateful for all of our mission partners,” said Walsh. “They have offered their best
to help the 21st ATF achieve success and thrive in chaos.”
Participants gained hands-on experience in mission planning, base defense, logistics, and
distributed command and control.
“Each day we wake up, team up, and learn about different AFSCs and how they
contribute to the mission,” said Staff Sgt. Rikki Nye, 7th Civil Engineer Squadron water
and fuel systems maintenance technician. “Working with different people highlights what
it means to be mission ready.”
Throughout the exercise, evaluators assessed performance to verify readiness benchmarks
and refine expeditionary tactics. Lessons learned will shape future iterations of ACE
implementation across the Air Force.
“Airmen across the spectrum—different AFSCs, ranks, and experience levels—have
come together to build cohesive teams and accomplish mission-ready training,” said
Walsh. “They’re doing things they didn’t think were possible. I’m proud of how far
we’ve come, and I look forward to where we’re going.”
CHAOS RISING reinforced the 21st ATF’s role as a pathfinding force—testing new command and control concepts while developing Airmen capable of executing critical missions from anywhere in the world.
| Date Taken: | 05.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2025 17:12 |
| Story ID: | 498618 |
| Location: | TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 21st ATF excels in austere environment during CHAOS RISING, by SrA Alondra Cristobal Hernandez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
