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ELEFSIS AIR BASE, Greece — U.S. and Greek service members arrived for Exercise Stolen Cerberus IV, a routine bilateral training deployment, at Elefsis Air Base, Greece, April 18.
“The purpose of this exercise is to improve our C-130J training while building partnership, capacity, and capability with the Hellenic air force here in Greece,” said 1st Lt. Aven Claire Sanders, 37th Airlift Squadron pilot. “We’re focused on
up-training and our own improvements with new training techniques and scenarios while working with the Greeks.”
Approximately 110 Airmen and three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 37 AS, will participate in the exercise with the Hellenic air force and the U.S. Army until April 28.
“It is extremely important that we train and exercise together,” said Capt. Ryan Brooks, mission commander for the exercise. “Not only does it make us better as individual units, but when it comes to moving forward and having to come together as an alliance, we know how each of us are going to act in a certain situation and can execute the intended plan in an effective manner.”
The Airmen will work alongside aircrew, maintainers, and paratroopers from the Hellenic armed forces, as well as work jointly with U.S. Army Soldiers from the 21st Theater Sustainment Command’s 5th Quartermaster Company.
During the exercise, U.S. service members will work alongside the Hellenic air force to participate in personnel, cargo, and low-cost, low-altitude drops, as well as search and rescue missions.
“I’m hoping our service members learn and experience working with another military and become better overall Airmen and Soldiers,” Brooks said. “I hope we have a good forward training deployment out here and I’m excited and look forward to expanding our abilities as an Air Force and working with our NATO allies.”
Through exercises such as this, the U.S. strengthens its partnership with its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies.
