DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 317th Airlift Wing concluded operations as the sole tactical airlift unit in Exercise Valiant Shield, providing rapid global mobility solutions across the Pacific region June 18 to July 4, 2026.
Valiant Shield 2026, hosted by U.S. Pacific Command, brought together U.S. forces with allied and partner nations to strengthen interoperability, improve joint integration and enhance readiness across the region. Conducted throughout Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Japan and surrounding waters, the biennial exercise challenged participating units to operate in complex, contested environments while reinforcing a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
As one of Air Mobility Command’s largest C-130J Super Hercules wings, the 317th AW provided the rapid mobility and logistical support necessary to sustain large-scale operations across the vast Pacific area of responsibility. Operating multiple C-130J aircraft, Airmen trained alongside joint and coalition partners to ensure personnel, equipment and supplies could be delivered wherever the mission required.
“Valiant Shield gave our Airmen the chance to practice austere airfield operations in the second island chain, working directly with joint users and minimal ground support to get the mission done,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jesse Moulton, 317th Operations Support Squadron commander. “That kind of environment can’t be replicated at home station, and it’s exactly the kind of fog and friction they’ll face on real-world taskings.”
The exercise showcased and emboldened the Lethal Expeditionary Airman Development program and gave the wing a chance to train for Agile Combat Employment by operating from multiple islands with limited material handling equipment, air tower controllers and landing zone operations. Those conditions forced crews to adapt quickly, and in doing so reinforce the wing’s ability to generate combat power in a dynamic environment.
The 317th AW also certified its entire crew force on flush procedures, a skill that allows Airmen to rapidly exfiltrate a location when there is an impending threat, while also executing “Man Down” operations. In this desired learning objective, the maintenance officer-in-charge of aircrew signs exceptional releases for the aircraft in lieu of leadership, all while reinforcing ACE and “Hub and Spoke” operations.
“Executing a certification event under an exercise like Valiant Shield drives camaraderie and promotes networking between the aircraft maintenance unit, flying squadron and similar mission partners,” said Capt. Matthew Plank, 317th Maintenance Squadron charger aircraft maintenance unit officer in charge. “This exercise laid the foundational elements for strong teamwork through ’forming, storming and norming,’ which provide the critical linkage to the ’performing’ stage which is vital to success as we execute the Air Force Force Generation cycle.”
The most challenging and rewarding part of the exercise, leaders said, was working directly with joint users to move cargo, equipment, fuel and people quickly, especially with an impending typhoon at the end of the exercise. Leadership also took pride in their Airmen’s ability to flex at a moment’s notice when last-minute user requirements interrupted planned training, then still accomplish their own mission objectives.
The 317th AW’s involvement in Valiant Shield 2026 underscored the critical role mobility forces play in projecting combat power throughout the Pacific. By providing rapid, flexible airlift in support of joint and multinational operations, the wing strengthened its readiness for future taskings and contributed to regional security and stability.