“Readiness is everything. Proper preparation prevents poor performance,” said Capt. D.J. Fordis, wing plans officer at the 172nd Airlift Wing, when asked how Operation Magnolia Knight, a base-wide combat readiness exercise, contributed to operational readiness and combat capability. Operation Magnolia Knight is a Wing combat readiness exercise intended to test each unit's ability to respond and perform in a simulated deployed environment.
Before the exercise began, months of planning and preparation took place. Staff Sgt. Robert Wilkins, member of the wing plans team at the 172nd AW, went into detail about the process, which included receiving a list of objectives from Air Mobility Command, learning about the jobs in each unit and their responsibilities, and creating a plan for the exercise.
“For each one of these objectives, I may go to five different shops and ask, ‘What’s your role in this, how would you accomplish said objective?’ and plan that all out,” said Wilkins. “If I don't know from step one to the end of the process what’s entailed, then I can't lay out how much time it would take and who needs to be involved. I have to detail it down to the minute so we can fit all of these objectives into the short time we have to conduct the exercise.”
“This exercise was done differently than it has been in the past,” said Fordis.
Unlike previous exercises, Operation Magnolia Knight tested members’ ability to react in real time to combat-related scenarios. This included mock events such as mortar attacks, serious casualties, rapid take-off, fires, medical evacuations, loss of power, degraded communications, and more.
All of these events tied into the overall intent and expected outcome of the exercise, as Capt. Jaelrbreiret Williams, the director of inspections for the Inspector General’s office at the 172nd AW, explained. “Right now, the commanders go in monthly and say, ‘I have the capability to do this function. I have the equipment to do this function. I have enough personnel to do this function.’ But this is tested in real time to ensure that it's accurate when they put that information in, what they say, versus what they're doing, to make sure it aligns.”
“We just want to be better,” said Williams. “Additionally, we want to ensure that our people are trained, and the equipment is where it needs to be. If they're not trained, have a plan to train them, have a plan to repair, or get the equipment that's needed in order to perform these functions.”
Echoing this sentiment, Fordis relayed how the cooperation of all units, as well as their dedication to meeting the standard, was crucial for this exercise and is essential for driving the mission forward. “We’re all puzzle pieces, right? I think that no matter what job you do in the Air Force, or in the Guard, we're all a puzzle piece, and when we don't do our jobs well, to standard, the puzzle looks bad,” said Fortis. “Standards need to be understood and need to be set early. We have to perform now so that when it really counts, the standard is already set and we're exceeding it.”
Overall, the members of the 172nd AW displayed a good attitude and willingness to learn despite various challenges.
“Before the exercise, I asked two things of the members who participated in our first combat readiness exercise – have a good attitude and give a good effort; and by all accounts that is exactly what they did,” said Col. John Wilkinson, the commander of the 172nd AW. “We found areas where we need more training, and we found areas where the scenarios need adjusting. But throughout it all, our members solved problems and worked through issues with a great attitude and good effort.”
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| Date Taken: | 08.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.02.2025 10:29 |
| Story ID: | 544597 |
| Location: | MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Operation Magnolia Knight, by TSgt Vanessa Rivera, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
