Photo By Tech. Sgt. Michelle Ulber | U. S. Air National Guardsmen assigned to the 146th Airlift Wing participate in Small...... read more read more
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CHANNEL ISLANDS AIR NATIONAL GUARD STATION,PORT HUENEME, Calif. — Airmen from the 146th Airlift Wing completed the wing’s first of its kind Ready Airman Training (RAT) event from April 28 through May 1, 2026, equipping more than 500 personnel with critical pre-deployment skills over a four-day period.
The large-scale training effort focused on completing nearly all of the required pre-deployment training tasks across the Ready Airman Training areas through hands-on instruction and in-person briefings, replacing traditional computer-based modules with interactive, scenario-driven learning.
The shift reflects the U.S. Air Force’s transition to the Air Force Force Generation model, designed to better prepare forces for modern warfare through more deliberate and phased readiness cycles. By moving away from computer-based training, Airmen were able to engage directly with subject matter experts, ask questions in real time and build practical proficiency across a wide range of mission requirements.
“This is the first time we’ve executed RAT at this scale for the 146th,” said Col. Todd Morgan, 146th Airlift Wing plans officer. “We’ve never done it at this level before. Many of our counterpart wings have already been reaching out to us to understand how we built this so they can replicate it.”
Morgan said the training was developed in response to direction from wing leadership and broader changes across the Air Force.
“With the Air Force changing how it presents forces to combatant commanders, our wing commander asked us to create a template to ensure all our members receive the required Ready Airman Training,” he said. “This is about meeting those evolving requirements and preparing our Airmen for the way we deploy today.”
The event brought together instructors, planners and support personnel from across the wing in a coordinated, all-hands effort to execute the training. “We were tasked to build a training that covered all of the Ready Airman Training areas, Morgan said. “In four days, we were able to train nearly half the wing and complete so many of the requirements.”
By completing the majority of requirements under the new format, the wing significantly reduced future training bottlenecks and created additional time and flexibility for mission-specific training as deployment windows approach.
“This event allowed us to get ahead of the curve,” Morgan said. “By knocking out the bulk of these requirements now, we’re giving our Airmen more time to focus on mission-specific training and ensuring they’re fully prepared when it matters most.”
Both leaders and participating Airmen responded positively to the training, noting the value of hands-on instruction and expressing interest in expanding the concept in the future.
“The initial response from our members was overwhelmingly positive,” Morgan said. “They’re asking for more involvement and more hands-on training, especially in areas they don’t normally experience in their primary duties.”
Morgan said the wing is already looking at ways to expand training opportunities during future drill weekends by leveraging subject matter experts across different career fields.
“By giving Airmen exposure to training that they might not normally see day to day, it builds a more capable and confident force,” Morgan said.
Morgan emphasized the event’s success while acknowledging it is only the beginning of a longer-term shift in how the Air National Guard approaches readiness training.
“Ultimately, this was a success, but we’re going to keep improving it,” Morgan said. “We want to maximize training while minimizing the time we take our traditional Airmen away from their civilian lives. This will be a continual process as we refine how we prepare our Airmen to deploy.”
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.05.2026 15:03 |
| Story ID: | 564425 |
| Location: | PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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