CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- This week, members of the US Army 3rd Sustainment Command have been participating in ‘Exercise Dragon Lifeline.’
The exercise seeks to mimic a true deployment for the soldiers complete with packing and delivering military cargo via aircraft.
Readiness is their number one priority in the eyes of Commanding General James Smith.
“Part of being ready is ability to deploy. What better time to get ready than before you have to do it,” says CG Smith.
The group starts at Fort Bragg and drives their military vehicles to Joint Base Charleston. There, a list of tasks waits.
Charleston is an ideal location for the exercise because of the access to North Charleston’s air base and the ports at the Naval Base.
The final phase of the exercise will happen in the next two days. The group will be air lifted from Charleston to deliver their cargo to Fort Bragg and Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
One of the instructors for the exercise, Lieutenant Breed from the US Navy, believes the program is going to continue to grow.
“We did this last year with about 100 pieces of equipment and 200 soldiers, says Lt. Breed, “this year you’re looking at 200 pieces of equipment and 500 soldiers.”
Moving forward, the operation intends to work hand-in-hand with neighboring military bases to spread rapid global deployment skills.
