Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. -- Joint Base Langley-Eustis personnel conducted a Combat Readiness Exercise from Jan. 17 to Jan. 31, the culminating element of the biannual Air Combat Command’s Combat Readiness Inspection (CRI). In partnership with the 192d Wing, the CRI aimed to assess the readiness of Airmen from both the 633d Air Base Wing and 1st Fighter Wing to swiftly deploy combat-ready personnel and F-22 Raptors to counter emerging high-end threats at a moment's notice.
“Joint Base Langley-Eustis takes immense pride in our readiness and collective lethality,” stated Col. Matthew Altman, JBLE installation commander. “The homeland is no longer a sanctuary, so we are compelled to push the boundaries and challenge our ability to guarantee our power projection platform is primed to generate and deploy combat power whenever our nation calls.”
The two-week exercise was a multi-phased evaluation that reflected the cradle-to-grave process required to support a short-notice Combatant Commander tasking in a complex-threat environment. JBLE's contributions to this tasking included the deployment of F-22 Raptors, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, and logistics personnel to enhance flexible operational employment.
Throughout the challenging exercise, Airmen demonstrated tactics, techniques, and procedures they train with daily, withstanding relentless complexities designed to push them to their limits and foster new, innovative ways of executing mission-essential tasks.
“We entered this inspection fully aware of the formidable challenges ahead,” said Col. Brandon Tellez, 1st Fighter Wing commander. “The obstacles we overcame and the lessons we learned have significantly enhanced our unrivaled air dominance capabilities. The combat readiness of these men and women stands as a terrifying and paralyzing force that will keep adversaries at bay. It underscores our capability to respond swiftly and with devastating force to any emerging threat.”
The success of the Combat Readiness Inspection highlights Joint Base Langley-Eustis's unwavering commitment to maintaining top-tier combat readiness. The team’s performance under pressure reaffirms their crucial role in national defense. As threats evolve, JBLE's Airmen continue to adapt and excel, ensuring they remain at the forefront of air combat excellence, ready to meet any challenge head-on.