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Gen. Mike Minihan, Commander of Air Mobility Command, visits the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station June 8, 2024.

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Niagara members participate in first exercise of its kind

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Chelsea Gitzen
  • 914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station --  Approximately 182 airmen and 36 increments equaling over 220 tons of deployment-related cargo and equipment were processed, tested and inspected as part of a joint mobility deployment exercise held on September 11th, 2010.
This exercise was held in preparation for an Operational Readiness Inspection the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Base is slated to undergo in the year 2012 with joint participation from 914th Airlift Wing (AFRC) and 107th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard. Both wings based at Niagara Falls are part of the first ever Air Force Reserve and Air National guard C-130 association and will undergo the Operational Readiness Inspection together. The association is a result of a 2005 decision of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) that mandated the 107th Airlift Wing (ANG) transition to the C-130 tactical airlift mission, from the KC-135 refueling mission and associate with the 914th Airlift Wing (AFRC).
Today, airmen from both the Reserve and Guard work side by side to complete the installation's mission of tactical airlift and a robust expeditionary combat support. The association brings together two separate and different elements of Air Force personnel and enables both to grow from the diverse perspectives that cohesion may provide.
"Operations and aircraft maintenance functions from both wings have successfully associated together capitalizing on the expertise and efforts of both units," said Colonel Mark Murphy, 914th Airlift Wing Vice-Commander. "But they did not stop there. Many other wing functions have associated by moving functions together and gaining efficiencies."
All units and airmen on base have directly benefitted from the association through the realignment of personnel and facilities. After the shuffle, space was allocated for vital mission support functions saving the installation and the Air Force time and money. One of those functions was the Logistic Readiness Offices.
"Through this association we were able to gain some efficiencies and create a deployment processing center in building 600," said Capt. Gina Pizziconi-Cupples, 914th Logistics Readiness Squadron director of logistics plans. "It's pretty unique that agencies [and] wings were able to come up with enough space after moving different functions around [to] support an entire deployment processing center without having to build something new ."
Airmen from the both units worked hard to make the exercise in areas such as checking in and processing personnel for the simulated deployment, to acting as security to ensure members visit each station of the processing line.
"[This exercise] essentially kicks off the next cycle of planning and preparing for our next Inspector General Inspection," said Chief Master Sgt. Frank Barone, 914 AW military personnel superintendent and personnel briefer for the processing function of the exercise. "Deploying the wing for an IGX, or any major deployment, is a major undertaking that require[d] involvement from everyone."
This exercise, far in advance of the actual inspection, is part of a plan by both wings to fully prepare the newly associated airmen for their first exercise operating as a joint force.
"The IGX is still almost two years away," said Col. Kurt Hammer, 914 AW IG and lead inspector for the exercise. "But as we learned before, that two years will go fast. We need[ed] this drill to start our crawl, walk, run towards the IGX. Conducting an exercise and evaluation such as this is the first major step in the long journey towards the IGX."

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