MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — The Alabama National Guard operates with year-round training, but this summer has been incredibly busy.
From air to land, the agency has been working with NATO allies to prepare for anything that may be a threat to our national security. Every state's National Guard partners with a nation in Europe. Alabama's partner is Romania.
Colonel Mike Taylor serves as the Director of Staff for the Alabama Air National Guard. He said some pilots flew with Romanians to train on how to refuel planes.
"In Birmingham, we have KC-135s, which are refuelers. It's based on a Boeing 707 model. It's an air refueling mission. And we were able to deploy one of those to Romania," Taylor said.
Colonel Taylor said they also have been conducting A.C.E. Exercises or Agile Combat Employment.
"I guess you'd say the way of combatting in the air war in the twenty-first century," he said. "And what I mean by that is we take those aircraft and give them nontraditional type missions in order to prepare for nontraditional type missions that may come in the future."
Colonel Steven Witherington serves as the Head of Operations for the Alabama Army National Guard. He said they also work with various armies throughout the world, in addition to Romania.
"Exercises that range from cyber, seaborne response, bridge exercises, land force exercises- so a myriad of different tasks that are accomplished," Witherington said.
He also said each event is different, but every soldier comes back with the same thing.
"Each one, no matter where they're going, they always come back with those war stories you're talking about, those things that they love. The camaraderie," said Witherington.
Colonel Witherington said they are learning how to incorporate new technology in their operations every day.