Senior Airman Carter Nikles, 7th Operations Support Squadron, left, conducts a pre-flight brief with aircrew members prior to a training sortie during a Copper Ring exercise at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Sept. 13, 2021. The participation of Dyess Airmen in Copper Ring was imperative in terms of readiness and interoperability between base agencies to respond to various circumstances. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Owsianka)