137th SOW conducts deployment readiness training at Fort Chaffee

Photo By Senior Airman Harrison Stone | A 137th Special Operations Wing instructor leads a team along a perimeter wall during a field exercise at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, March 6, 2026. The training provided civil engineering Airmen with combat familiarization to ensure mission readiness. (Air National Guard photo courtesy of the 137th Special Operations Wing)  

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, UNITED STATES

09.13.2026

Story by Senior Airman Harrison Stone 

137th Special Operations Wing

Airmen from the 137th Special Operations Wing, Oklahoma Air National Guard, led a combat field exercise at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, simulating a deployed environment to complete critical career learning objectives March 2-6, 2026.

The training was conducted by the 137th Mission Support Group, and it was designed to sharpen the skills of all ranks.The exercise brought together 115 Airmen spanning several different career fields to conduct combat training while adapting to a simulated deployed environment.

"It’s a trust but verify mindset," said a 137th SOW instructor. "Check, recheck, double check, triple check because the stuff you take with you is the stuff that's gonna keep you alive."

During the exercise, civil engineering Airmen were split into three teams and tasked with completing 17 tactical scenarios. The hands-on training directly targeted essential combat capabilities, focusing on defensive fighting positions, individual movement techniques and tactical communications. Airmen trained in both day and night environments including night vision goggle familiarization.

"They came together extremely well,” said Chief Master Sgt. Randy Akin, senior enlisted leader for the 137th Special Operations Security Forces Squadron. "You could tell that they were all on the same team, had the same objective and were willing to work with each other to make it happen."

The training brought together 137th SOW Air Commandos across different career fields not only to train but to support – providing food and transportation to sustain the weeklong exercise. The course emphasized the importance of teamwork, combat capabilities and readiness to ensure 137th SOW Airmen are trained and equipped to operate in any environment.

• Date Taken: 09.13.2026
• Date Posted: 09.13.2026 16:46
• Story ID: 574572
• Location: OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, US