Operation Bold Raven
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1381″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”right” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1500397940285{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1500392454087{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”]Sgt. Thaddeus Harrington, Maryland National Guard Public Affairs Office
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]The Maryland National Guard’s 32nd Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction), along with the 5th CST from Illinois, conducted the joint exercise Operation Bold Raven Jan. 9-17 in Kapolei, Hawaii. Operation Bold Raven allowed the two teams to train and collaborate as well as conduct an airlift deployment and a joint entry.
The teams advised, assisted and identified hazards in support of civil authorities. A substantial part of the 32nd’s mission was the airlift from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii and then the safe return to their home station.
“We worked through the challenges of having never done it [airlift] before, going through the entire paperwork process, loading the vehicles on the aircraft, getting off the ground and getting here [Hawaii],” said 1st Sgt. Marcus Mingo, first sergeant of the 32nd CST. “Moving forward, we will be in a better place. We know exactly what to expect when doing this type of mission. Now we should be able to deploy wherever we are needed.”
To prepare for this flight, a few members of the 32nd had to build a 29-inch high, 303-inch long and 36-inch wide wooden ramp to load the vehicles onto the aircraft at Dover. The ramp construction took more than 11 hours with $3,000 worth of materials from the nearby hardware store.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]