Subscribe
Members from the newly established 182nd Contingency Response Group, part of the 182nd Airlift Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard, teamed up with the 156th Contingency Response Group from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard during Exercise Sentry North 25 to build and refine their new mission capabilities.
The 182nd CRG is a newly activated unit designed to improve rapid deployment and turnaround capabilities for a wide range of missions.
“The Contingency Response Group is one that can deploy within a 72-hour notice,” said Master Sgt. Craig Thurman, a loadmaster with the 182nd Contingency Response Group. “This allows for contingency operations, open airfields to hurricane relief, natural disasters, and we can work in both jungle and arctic environments.”
The addition of this unit expands the mission potential of both the 182nd Airlift Wing and the Air Force as a whole.
“Think of Contingency Response as an airfield in a box,” said Staff Sgt. Matthew Nichols, a petroleum, oils and lubricants specialist with the 182nd Contingency Response Group. “There are around 30 to 40 different jobs in the unit, and with that, it allows for many different capabilities for setting up an air base.”
This variety of specialties within one unit makes the group highly adaptable, with diverse skill sets that support mission objectives in any environment.
“I believe the 182nd Airlift Wing getting this Contingency Response unit is going to open us up to worldwide training capabilities,” said Master Sgt. Derek Wolfe, a Security Forces officer with the 182nd Contingency Response Group. “Because of this, the sky is the limit.”
The activation of this unit is expected to expand the 182nd Airlift Wing’s global reach and deployment readiness.
During Exercise Sentry North 25 in Alpena, Michigan, the 182nd CRG operated alongside members of the 156th CRG from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. Training included close-quarters battle operations and maneuvers, tactical combat casualty care under simulated fire, and a variety of other real-world scenarios reflecting deployed mission objectives.
“The people of the 156th CRG are great. They always are,” said Thurman. “Doing Sentry North 25 alongside that group has been a great relationship builder, and we look forward to working with them in the future.”
The 156th CRG, established Jan. 1, 2020, brings years of operational experience that will help guide the 182nd as it builds out its capabilities.
“That group really treated us like we were one of their own,” said Nichols. “Doing CQB training with them was one of my favorite parts of the trip because they really opened up and allowed us to integrate right into the ranks with them.”
With continued joint training opportunities and a group of dedicated, mission-ready Airmen, the 182nd Contingency Response Group is gearing up to support a wide range of global missions with readiness and lethality as a priority.
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.16.2025 16:37 |
| Story ID: | 499958 |
| Location: | ALPENA, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 11 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The 182nd Contingency Response Group Builds Capabilities Alongside 156th CRG During Sentry North 25, by A1C Noah Hardin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
