FORT MCCOY & VOLK FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Wis. –
Airmen from the 192nd Security Forces Squadron, 192nd Wing, Virginia Air National Guard, honed their combat readiness during joint exercise Bumbu Forge 2024, a large-scale training exercise held June 2-16, 2024, at Fort McCoy and Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center at Volk Field ANG Base in Wisconsin.
Designed to enhance the interoperability and readiness of the U.S. Armed Forces, Bumbu Forge focused on realistic combat simulations and strategic operations. The exercise involved coordinated efforts across various military branches and units, testing the participants' tactical skills and decision-making abilities in a controlled, high-intensity environment.
More than 62 units from the Air National Guard, Army National Guard and the United States Air Force participated in the exercise, which consisted of two distinct phases.
During the first week, training was emphasized on expeditionary training. During this phase, the 192nd SFS played a crucial role by providing combat arms training, maintenance instruction and base defense training to combat communications and support personnel. This training proved essential in building competence and confidence when establishing bare-bones operating locations in austere environments with potential kinetic threats.
They transitioned to a readiness exercise for week two, simulating a deployment scenario with personnel operating under contested, degraded, or operationally limited conditions. This realistic environment pushed Airmen to adapt and overcome real-world challenges.
“Bumbu Forge 2024 provided invaluable real-world agile combat employment training for our security forces team and the [192nd] Mission Support Group as a whole,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Manaal “Pipper” Burge, 192nd MSG commander. “These exercises are critical for developing multi-capable Airmen and ensuring we are prepared to rapidly deploy and effectively support the mission in any environment. Not only was it great training for our team, but it was also a great opportunity for us to provide excellent integrated defense training to the other 900 participants.”
The exercise kicked off with a night landing. Personnel with the 192nd SFS disembarked from a C-130 Hercules aircraft onto a dirt airstrip, immediately securing the airfield for follow-on C-130 operations. Follow-on flights brought in combat communications and support personnel who boarded CH-47 Chinook aircraft from the Nebraska Army National Guard for onward deployment to forward operating sites.
Throughout the exercise, 192nd SFS personnel spearheaded base defense operations, enabling combat communications and support units to focus on establishing essential communications infrastructure under challenging conditions. The Airmen benefitted from daily forward deployments via CH-47 Chinooks, allowing them to hone their tactical skills further.
“You learn what you need and don't need because you have to be efficient," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jarvis Mason, 192nd SFS journeyman. He highlighted the importance of proper supply selection while deploying with limited space aboard the Chinooks.
The exercise also included a distinguished visitor day, showcasing the training value to more than 80 DVs across the ANG. The DVs flew into the simulated deployed environment on UH-60 Black Hawks as part of a simulated combat environment and interacted with their Airmen firsthand during training. They also had the opportunity to learn about how Bumbu Forge increased the warfighting skills and mission readiness of their Airmen in multiple different facets.
Leadership from the 192nd Wing demonstrated their support for the SFS personnel with the attendance of Burge, their group commander, in addition to U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Sean J. Fretwell, 192nd Wing command chief, and U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Joseph J. Young, 192nd MSG senior enlisted leader.
Bumbu Forge culminated in a simulated kinetic attack on the main operating base, testing the security forces' ability to defend the airfield under various threats after days of continuous operations and sleeping in austere conditions.
“The planning and execution were phenomenal, incorporating all aspects of a real-world scenario,” said Burge. “The realistic challenges faced at Bumbu Forge honed our skills and strengthened our ability to work together as a cohesive unit and respond effectively. Our participation in exercises like this is essential for maintaining the combat readiness of the 192nd Wing.”