Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division and airmen from the 535th Airlift Squadron, 15th Wing conduct a load out and fly away validation exercise Dec. 10 on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam using two M1126 Strykers and a C-17 Aircraft as part of the 25th ID Contingency Response Force (CRF) mission.

The CRF mission is designed to rapidly deploy Soldiers within the Asia-Pacific's area of responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance and or combat operations.

"By conducting this type of training it demonstrates that we are mission capable and mission ready to deploy if needed," said 1st Lt. Kyle Goodroe, originally from Mich., a platoon leader assigned to Company A.

The two services worked together to enhance the interoperability of the units to provide proper airlift capabilities. "This type of training benefits both branches of service," said Staff Sgt. Christopher Fullmer, from Seattle, Wash, an evaluator load master assigned to 535th Airlift Squadron, 15th Wing. "In our particular unit we typically don't get a lot of experience or exposure to diverse vehicles such as the Strykers. It provides a great opportunity for our young airmen to come out here and learn the different procedures that go along with this type of training that they normally would not be able to see. For the Army it allows them to be able to see and work in different training environments with different personnel that will overall prepare them for future airlift operations.

The training allows the units to gauge their crews as a team and hone their deployable readiness in order to be able to accomplish its mission safely and effectively.

For Pvt. Dillen Filley, from St. Louis, Mo., an infantryman assigned to Company A, conducting this training safely and effectively is the only thing on his mind.

"My leaders told me to watch out for passing troop and don't hit any of the aircrafts," he said. Building a foundation in a real world environment; this training provides the units a better understanding of what all is required if they are needed to deploy without notice.

"This is the first time we are loading Strykers on C-17 aircraft as a unit in a long time," said Goodroe. "By conducting this type of training it demonstrates that we are mission capable and ready to deploy if needed and not only that but also provides a great arsenal in our weaponry."