KEY FIELD – Members of the 186th Air Refueling Wing participated recently in a multi-national training exercise combining forces from the U.S., Europe and other NATO partners.

Air Defender 2023 was a German-led, live-flying exercise, which ran June 12-23, and showcased multi-national operations and collaboration with international partners and NATO allies. The exercise involved more than 200 aircraft, with nearly 100 coming from 44 Air National Guard units from 35 states.

The 12-day exercise included over 800 missions, 5,600 flight hours and 3,400 personnel including pilots, air traffic controllers and tactical air control party airmen from the 186th Air Refueling Wing.

Maj. Kyle Chaney, KC-135 instructor pilot with the 153rd Air Refueling Squadron, flew a KC-135 Stratotanker in the exercise. With a Tennessee Air National Guardsman as his co-pilot, Maj. Chaney refueled F-16 Fighting Falcons from Poland, France and the United States in addition to F-35 Lightening II and F-15 Eagles from the U.S.

“It was amazing to see air forces based out of locations across Europe coming together for a common goal,” Chaney said. “Our participation in the refueling mission allowed the fighter aircraft to execute their objectives in the exercise.”

Air Defender 2023 demonstrated the agility and flexibility of the U.S. Air Force, enabled by its longstanding relationships with partner nations in the largest air force redeployment since NATO was founded.

“I was thoroughly impressed by how well all of our units and NATO allies worked together,” Chaney said. “Within 24 hours of arrival, we were running operations at full capacity, thanks to our German hosts and international partners.

“It was a seamless transition,” he continued.

Exercises like Air Defender 2023 provide valuable opportunities, not only for multiple U.S. services to work together, but also for integrated, total force training with Air National Guard units and partner nations’ militaries to ensure effective collaboration.

“I’m proud of the positive attitude displayed by Mississippi Air Guardsmen during the exercise. Our people exhibited a can-do mindset, flexibility with mission changes and a robust sense of duty,” Col. Cindy Smith, commander of the 186th Air Refueling Wing, said. “It is imperative that the United States has strong relationships with our allies in Europe, the Indo-Pacific and around the world. Demonstrating that we can and will work shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners pays dividends as we promote security, stability, and peace across the globe.”