BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. – The Colorado Air National Guard’s 140th Civil Engineering Squadron, 140th Wing, Buckley Space Force Base, Aurora, Colorado, participated in a Deployment for Training exercise at Yokota Air Base, Japan, July 14 - 31, 2023.
The main goal of this exercise is to strengthen civil engineering Air Force Specialty Code skills and project management through on-site construction. Eleven other units, on two-week rotations, worked together in tandem to accomplish a large-scale tasking at Yokota.
The National Guard Bureau situated the exercise in Yokota.
“These projects are developed at the NGB A4X level (Air National Guard Civil Engineer, Readiness Division, Expeditionary Support Branch),” 140th Civil Engineer Squadron Senior Enlisted Leader U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Davis said. “Units will request to attend the event and list what typed of training would add value to their squadron.”
Yokota easily met the need to include a large amount of personnel for construction and firefighting training.
Conducting this training in a simulated environment also added additional value. Having the combined ingredients of a ready force, a scheduled movement, deployment, and redeployment added a military element that a local training event does not.
Of mutual benefit, the exercise provided Yokota with additional usable facilities in their mission set both for themselves and later exercises.
Beyond the AFSC tasks being trained on, DFT also applies the “one fight, one team” concept through collaboration with other units. In this exercise, they experienced the time demand to prepare, hurry up and wait, flight changes, and frustration of limited connectivity.
“This testing of patience is by design,” Davis said. “It strengthens family resiliency by creating a small sampling of the effort and stress that mobilization brings. This becomes a unique training exercise that isn’t possible to replicate at a home station, a unique experience in building new skills and tactics.”
From a readiness perspective, Davis said the exercise helped with morale and unit cohesion, emphasizing how rewarding and fulfilling training helps achieve recruiting and retention goals.
Having hands-on work for engineers and the ability to practice firefighting at a different training facility will also sharpen responses.
Davis said the same goes for construction. This type of training exercise is invaluable to enhance 140th CE skills and capabilities.
“The engineer posture is changing to include an on-demand force,” Davis said. “Being able to invest in Yokota, the National Guard, and getting to see a little bit of the world all at the same time is a win-win.”