Joint Warfighters Explode into the Indo-Pacific Theater Published July 11, 2024 By Airman 1st Class Aidan Thompson Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The 'Can Do’ Wing and members from the 87th Air Base Wing displayed their Explodeo capabilities during the Valiant Shield exercise, June 5-18, 2024, integrating secure beyond line of sight and line of sight connectivity capabilities to maneuver the joint force in a contested, degraded, or denied information environment. Valiant Shield allows Air Mobility Command and joint forces to practice their ability to receive timely and relevant intelligence data to make decisions and enable dynamic mission generation and execution. The Indo-Pacific-based exercise enables our warfighters to engage opposing forces in the air, land, sea, space as well as cyberspace. “It is through exercises like Valiant Shield that we are able to demonstrate our support to our allies and partners in the Pacific theater” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Thomas Takao, 6th Airlift Squadron, Operations Flight commander. “We were able to show our capabilities to rapidly execute and sustain forces in one of the largest exercises in the region.” Throughout Valiant Shield, 305th AMW and 87th ABW Airmen combined their efforts to support the joint force showcasing the installation’s response time and dedication the nation’s allies globally. This effort by the Airmen adheres to the reoptimization of the Department of the Air Force during an era of Great Power Competition; ensuring the force is keeping pace with, and exceeding, competitors. The 6th Airlift Squadron deployed 140 Airmen and maintainers in four C-17 Globemaster IIIs and two KC-46 Pegasus aircraft, loaded with a total of 90,000 pounds of cargo to Yokota Air Base, Japan, in support of Valiant Shield. The team exploded into the theater on three sorties and subsequently executed multiple follow-on sorties. The exercise serves as the Air Force Force Generation certification for the 6th AS and the 305th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. “Being the lead supply point for the KC-46 Pegasus’, my responsibility was to give 24 hour support to maintenance” said Senior Airman Maxwell Texeira, 87th Logistics Readiness Squadron Aircraft Parts Store and Mobility Readiness Spares Package technician. “We provided them with mission-essential assets on demand out of our High Priority Mission Support Kits, while also coordinating the shipment and delivery of these mission-capable aircraft parts to our deployed location” Texiera explained the combination of logistics and maintenance is crucial when getting and keeping our aircraft in the sky. The team was tasked with a three-day notice and showcased how they can respond quickly to a real-world mission from combatant commanders. JB MDL stands ready to project and connect the joint force through unrivaled rapid global mobility… right effects, right place, right time.