U.S. Airmen assigned to the 721st and 321st Contingency Response Squadrons conducted Exercise Storm Flag 25-11, an exercise that supported the deployment of the U.S. Army’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Alexandria International Airport to the Joint Readiness Training Center, Louisiana, Sept. 7-19, 2025.
Storm Flag, an Air Mobility Command 300-level exercise, is designed to train units to operate in complex, realistic combat environments. This iteration marked the first operational employment of the Deployable Combat Wing, or lead wing concept, enabling contingency response forces to gain practical experience with this new doctrine emphasizing agile, self-sufficient, and rapidly deployable units for enhanced power projection.
“Storm Flag is critical for maintaining the proficiency of experienced personnel and preparing our newer Griffins for real-world scenarios,” said Master Sgt. Sergio Brill, 321st Contingency Response Element senior enlisted leader in training. “It allows veterans to sharpen their skills in joint forcible entry operations, while simultaneously introducing junior members to joint force exercises, port opening operations, and collaboration with Air Force agencies.”
As the exercise kicked off, a 321st Contingency Response Element (CRE), a 108-person team comprised of approximately 40 air force specialty codes, was the first to arrive at Alexandria International Airport, Louisiana. Their initial task was to establish an aerial port – a terminal for handling cargo and personnel.
Upon the aerial port becoming fully operational, approximately 1,200 1/82 IBCT (Airborne) Paratroopers, along with their cargo and vehicles arrived in preparation for a joint forcible entry operation into “The Box,” the JRTC’s 250,000-acre training range near Fort Polk, Louisiana.
A joint forcible entry is a military operation where multiple U.S. military branches work together to conduct an airborne or amphibious assault to seize objectives for follow-on military operations.
With U.S. Army equipment staged at the Alexandria International Airport cargo yard, 321st CRE air transportation specialists from across the multiple career fields began their mission of conducting joint inspections on all equipment, ensuring the cargo was ready to be loaded and flown aboard U.S. Air Force aircraft.
The day before “Hit Night,” a nickname for the night the paratroopers are flown and dropped over The Box, the ramp at Alexandria slowly began to fill up with six U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster IIIs, three U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers, and six U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules.
At sunset the following day, all 1,200 U.S. Army paratroopers made their way onto the ramp, with 321st CRS members escorting them behind their designated aircraft. After hours of preparation, the paratroopers boarded their aircraft.
Once the 12 aircraft were airborne and the paratroopers made their mid-air exit, the paratroopers members went to work, rallying together, and pushing back opposition forces until the area around Geronimo Landing Zone (LZ) was deemed safe to land an aircraft.
After the paratroopers secured the LZ, the 721st CRS advanced airfield assessment team arrived aboard a U.S. Air Force C-130J and further assessed the LZ to accept the remainder of their forces, which included three U.S. Air Force C-17s, carrying the 721st CRE of approximately 100 members.
“Exercise Storm Flag 25-11 was the 721st CRS’s best opportunity to integrate with a wider combat force in a contested environment,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Jason Feys, team lead for the 721st’s airfield assessment team. “This, in combination with the opportunity to deploy and operate with mass airlift, gave the 721st the optimal environment to prepare for its mission.”
After the CRE from the 721st CRS arrived and stood up their aerial port, full-scale movements could begin, allowing the 321st’s CRE to begin cargo operations to move the 82nd ABN’s equipment to the 721st CRS at the landing zone.
The 321st CRS coordinated with the 721st CRS to ensure the landing zone and ramp had space to accept inbound aircraft, allowing 721st members to download all 82nd Airborne Division cargo and personnel, allowing them to further accomplish their mission.
“Contingency response Airmen integrated with a simulated deployable combat wing and lead wing, proving both the hand-off processes and the ability for CR Airmen to work side by side with anyone to get the job done,” said Brill. “We embedded our logistics subject matter experts with the Army to enhance interoperability and ensure the priority cargo was delivered as quickly as possible.”