JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii —
The three wings of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard combined resources to transport members of the 111th Attack Wing from Biddle Air National Guard Base in Horsham, Pennsylvania to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii , for a two-week training exercise known as Koa Lani which began on June 9, 2023.
The 171st Air Refueling Wing and 193rd Special Operations Wing joined forces to airlift 39 personnel from the 111th ATKW, with the 171st providing a KC-135 Stratotanker and crew, and the 193rd Special Operations Wing providing the airfield and personnel needed to load the plane, which took off for Hawaii from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Since the objective of the training was for the 111th FSS to simulate the logistics and tempo of operations involved in deploying to an overseas airbase in support of an active duty contingency operation, they decided to name the exercise once they got to JBPHH.
“We have chosen the name Koa Lani for the exercise,” said Captain Soosoo Taulelei, personnel director of the 111th FSS. “Koa Lani can be translated as sky warrior or celestial warrior. We thought it was fine with us because in addition to the Airmen from the 111th FSS, we traveled with a public affairs team and two members of the chaplaincy office.
The trip took about 16 hours, which included a bus ride to the airfield courtesy of the Pennsylvania National Guard. Nine of those hours were spent in the air and the rest were spent loading and unloading equipment and shuttling troops from the airfield to housing.
Second Lieutenant Akini Cyrus, commander of the 111th Food Services Flight, said the airman was ready for the trip. Many slept during the flight while others pulled out board games and cards, or watched movies to pass the time.
However, preparing for a six-hour jet lag and 3 a.m. wake-ups was another story. Fortunately, the troops of the 111th FSS were ready for the challenge.
“Our team needs to wake up at 3 a.m. to start breakfast and lunch preparations,” Cyrus said. “I’m proud to say that they weren’t just on time, but early. Part of that was having the weekend to adjust. Many soldiers went on sunrise hikes and exercise while acclimating to a new location.
Along with traveling, acclimating to a tropical environment and six-hour jet lag, Airmen also transitioned into their respective roles, which ranged from providing mission support services, such as food dining troops and overseeing fitness evaluations.
“As Air National Guard Airmen, we must remain ready to answer the call and serve alongside our active duty counterparts,” Cyrus said. “Coming to Hawaii gave us the opportunity to manage the logistics of a type of deployment in which our troops were prepared and moved from place to place completely unfamiliar and our troops were ready to commit and do what they have to do. in their career areas to support the mission.