MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- The 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg, W.Va., held a base mobility exercise (MOBEX) March 2-5, processing approximately 200 167th personnel using the installation deployment plan.
The primary objectives of the MOBEX included exercising the mobility of the wing according to the installation deployment plan, with focus areas on the mobility bag process and the electronic mobility folder process. As well as, testing the command and control capabilities of the crisis action team, emergency operations center and deployment control center while filling last minute shortfalls.
“Having a compressed timeline with a mobility exercise allows us to view and take account of where we need to make improvements in the system,” said Col. Shaun J. Perkowski, the commander of the 167th.
The wing was able to use one C-17 Globemaster III from the wing’s fleet to fly approximately 75 passengers and cargo on a short flight to simulate a deployment.
This is the first time the unit has conducted a MOBEX of this size, said Maj. Christopher Tusing, the director of inspections at the 167th. In June 2016, the wing conducted a smaller exercise which helped form the objectives for this MOBEX.
The base-wide effort of the MOBEX involved base personnel working in new positions and using the opportunity to practice the deployment processes, said 1st Lt. Clayton Atkinson, installation deployment officer at the 167th.
Perkowski said some challenges were identified, but there were no big limiting factors. He also believes that everyone’s positive attitude and positive effort says great things about the wing.
The MOBEX is helping posture the base for upcoming deployments later this year, Tusing said.
“It is very important that we practice now,” said Perkowski. “We have real world deployments coming in the fall as we are exercising right now we are getting back to that deployment mindset.”