Photo By Senior Airman Katelynn Jackson | A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lighting II flies over 53rd Combat Airfield Operations...... read more read more
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CEIBA, Puerto Rico — The Air Force’s Force Generation deployment model, known as AFFORGEN, is driving operations across the Caribbean as the 346th Air Expeditionary Wing demonstrates how trained-together teams deliver airpower and mission support during Operation Southern Spear for U.S. Southern Command and through its air component, Air Forces Southern. As the first operational Air Expeditionary Wing deployed under the AFFORGEN model in USSOUTHCOM, the 346th AEW demonstrates how a trained, cohesive force can rapidly generate and sustain airpower for the Joint Force. Operating under the Joint Force Air Component Commander, who also leads AFSOUTH, the wing provides the theater with a responsive force capable of integrating with joint, interagency and multinational partners to strengthen regional security and shape the operational environment. The 346th AEW began as the 13th Air Task Force (ATF), activated in September 2024 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, as part of the service’s transition to the AFFORGEN model. Airmen from Luke, Ellsworth and McConnell Air Force Bases were combined into the 13th Combat Air Base Squadron (CABS), the core unit responsible for base operations support and mission generation. The team spent more than a year training together in exercises focused on building teamwork, trust and readiness. When the 13th ATF deployed to Puerto Rico in October 2025, it was redesignated as the 346th Air Expeditionary Wing, and the CABS became the 13th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron (EABS). Roughly 340 Airmen arrived already familiar with each other’s roles, strengths and communication styles, minimizing the growing pains common with newly formed teams. “In training together, we know the strengths and weaknesses of the team,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Benjamin Donberg, 346th AEW commander. “On day one of deployment, we hit the ground running and were a month ahead of schedule compared to where we would have been if we weren’t a trained unit of action.” The wing operates from several sites in Puerto Rico, including José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, where Airmen are improving long-unused airfield infrastructure by clearing vegetation, restoring pavement and expanding usable space for aircraft operations. Fixing and upgrading neglected areas quickly improved safety and opened new options for how we operate, said Lt. Col. Adam Baker, 346th AEW deputy commander. He added that support from local officials and the community has helped the wing secure utilities and reduce reliance on generators. “One of the key benefits of deploying as a cohesive team is that leadership at all levels established a culture of excellence and expectations before our deployment,” said Baker. “That shared preparation and teamwork fostered a high level of trust, critical to success when standing up a new operation.” The 346th AEW supports missions across Puerto Rico and works directly with joint and interagency partners to fulfill USSOUTHCOM priorities. “The ultimate goal of the 346th AEW is to generate airpower in support of the Joint Force Air Component Commander’s Air Tasking Order by protecting, sustaining and operating our airfields in order to fly and fix our weapon systems,” said Donberg. “Seeing the culture and readiness built over 18 months of training together, resulting in a deployed team with so much capability on display, that is what I am most proud of.” Forged through extensive training and validated in real-world operations, the 346th AEW is proving the Air Force’s model for how forces train and deploy under AFFORGEN. The expeditionary wing is projecting airpower across the region and demonstrating how a fully trained, ready-to-execute team can shape the battlespace from the moment their boots hit the ground—ready to deliver anytime, anywhere.
| Date Taken: | 12.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2025 14:41 |
| Story ID: | 554395 |
| Location: | CEIBA, PR |
| Web Views: | 243 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Trained-and-ready team strengthens operations in the Caribbean, by SrA Gabriel Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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