Increasing Multi-domain Capability

Joint force training approach to third offset strategy

- Maj. Rich Farnell, Maj. Shane Williams and Capt. Chandler Rochelle

One of the unique characteristics of Joint Base Lewis-McChord is that a major airlift wing is stationed alongside several combat brigades, including an expeditionary sustainment command. Given all these forces are geographically co-located, exclusive training opportunities present themselves which set conditions for joint force utilization and overlap of training objectives.

One such instance is the 62nd Airlift Wing’s Rainier War Exercise. This event includes joint planning between 62nd Air Wing and 17th Field Artillery Brigade, which prepares them to rapidly deploy and provide deep-strike capabilities through HIRAIN operations. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Rapid Infiltration (HIRAIN) is a forcible entry capability that extends the operational reach of a combatant commander. Soldiers in 17th FAB strive to synergize this capability in a joint manner leveraging the tenants of multi-domain operation to sustain efficient joint training.

Early in the process, planners from the 62nd Airlift Wing Ground Liaison Detachment recognized the opportunity to extend invitations to units that could also benefit from United States Air Force lift assets. Further perpetuating the impetus of sustained readiness, multiple units on JBLM were able to turn the 62nd Airlift Wing’s Rapid Mobility Exercise into a joint base-wide operation that reaped tremendous benefits to all who participated.