TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The 72nd Air Base Wing conducted exercise War Wagon 26-02 Aug. 4-7, testing its deployment readiness over a week of simulated combat operations at the Glenwood Training Area.
The annual exercise prepares Airmen to operate in contested environments by strengthening combat readiness, enhancing lethality and reinforcing the skills needed to support real-world missions.
“We're ensuring our Airmen have the knowledge, skills and abilities to go downrange and execute the mission,” said Thomas Rackley, War Wagon 26-02 Generate and Employ team chief. “We're testing our Airmen to make sure they can operate and be lethal in any situation.”
This year's exercise focused on preparing Airmen to perform their duties during a simulated deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Conducting the exercise in Oklahoma during the peak of summer also helped replicate the demanding conditions Airmen may encounter, as temperatures at Tinker Air Force Base closely mirror those found in parts of the CENTCOM AOR.
Training in Mission-Oriented Protective Posture gear added another layer of difficulty to the exercise, challenging Airmen to perform their duties while wearing heavy protective equipment in Oklahoma's summer heat. The physically demanding conditions required participants to remain focused, communicate effectively and accomplish their missions despite fatigue and discomfort, reinforcing the realities of operating where chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats may be present.
For evaluators, balancing realistic training with participant safety remained a priority throughout the exercise.
“We limited the amount of time Airmen spent in chemical gear because it traps heat,” Rackley said. “We made sure water was available everywhere, required them to carry full canteens and enforced hydration to give them a good evaluation while minimizing unnecessary heat exposure.”
Airmen prepared for the training as if it were a real deployment, packing essential equipment and completing deployment out-processing with the 72nd Logistics Readiness Squadron and 72nd Force Support Squadron before arriving at the training site.
“A lot of people come into War Wagon thinking it's a learning environment, but no you're actually being graded,” said Staff Sgt. Tremaine Tillett, 72nd Comptroller Squadron. “To let you know what you can improve on.”
Throughout the exercise, Airmen trained across multiple mission sets designed to replicate the challenges of deployed operations. Scenarios included responding to unmanned aerial system threats, coordinating simulated air strikes, sustaining logistics operations and managing financial resources in a downrange environment.
Airmen also practiced defending a forward operating base by securing the perimeter and responding to direct fire from opposing forces while operating in environments contaminated by simulated chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
“Any type of exercise allows us to identify both our strengths as well as weaknesses,” said Tech. Sgt. Katelynn Hagadorn, 72nd Security Forces Squadron defender. “It's important to identify those weaknesses here that way we know how to successfully combat against them downrange.”
Beyond the physical demands of deployment, the exercise also challenged Airmen to experience the mental pressures of operating in a deployed environment. Long hours, limited resources, unpredictable scenarios and the responsibility of making critical decisions under stress tested participants' ability to remain focused and resilient. By training under these conditions, Airmen developed the confidence and mental toughness needed to adapt, overcome challenges and accomplish the mission during contingency operations.
The exercise also incorporated airlift operations, including a simulated medical evacuation supported by a U.S. Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment, 90th Troop Command. The aircraft transported simulated casualties while Airmen coordinated security and patient movement under deployed conditions.
Exercise evaluators also incorporated evolving battlefield threats into the training, including simulated small unmanned aerial systems and helicopter operations designed to expose Airmen to capabilities they may encounter during future deployments.
“We try to incorporate new things every year, especially lessons Airmen bring back from downrange,” Rackley said. “That way these Airmen know what to expect if they do deploy.”
From the evaluators' perspective, the exercise provided participants an opportunity to apply classroom instruction in a realistic operational environment while building confidence in their ability to perform under pressure.
“Our challenge is making sure everything we do is a value added experience,“ Rackley said. “We want Airmen to get the repetitions they need so they feel confident when they go downrange.”
War Wagon reinforces proficiency in deployed operations, enabling participating units to maintain readiness for future deployments and contingency missions while ensuring Airmen are prepared to execute the mission in contested environments whenever called upon.