JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. – Members from the 437th Airlift Wing and the 628th Air Base Wing completed a pre-deployment site survey, PDSS, across various islands in the Indo-Pacific region from Sept. 9 to Sept. 21, 2025, in preparation for an upcoming exercise.
Led by the 14th Airlift Squadron, 18 Airmen across 10 organizations surveyed eight different islands in order to lay the groundwork for Palmetto Challenge 2026, a Joint Base Charleston combat readiness exercise, which will be conducted in January, 2026.
During the exercise, members of Team Charleston will showcase their capacity to seamlessly project Joint Base Charleston’s capabilities worldwide, while also keeping the mission supported back home.
The 14th AS will also complete their biannual Mission Generation Force Element Certification Event during Operation Palmetto Reach. For months, the team has gained experience operating aircraft in adverse conditions in preparation for the event.
“Demonstrating the ability to explode into the Pacific theater with eight aircraft at once showcases what Joint Base Charleston is capable of on a global scale,” said Maj. Ken Nakanishi, 14th AS C-17 Globemaster III evaluator pilot and the PDSS commander. “We want the world to know our team stays mission ready and will always be there when it matters.”
During the one-week site survey, the team evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of each island and how effective they would be at housing C-17’s, as well as the Airmen and equipment needed to maintain them for prolonged periods of time.
“It was an amazing team effort,” said Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Thulin, 628th Contracting Squadron senior enlisted leader. “As these exercises move forward, we can keep building on that interoperability.”
Joint Base Charleston’s ability to stage mobility aircraft in multiple locations within contested environments reinforces the strategic presence of the U.S. Air Force, displaying strength and the capability to perform in any circumstance.
“The biggest takeaway from this was collaboration,” said Nakanishi. “Getting the chance to learn from each other and gain a mutual understanding of what we each bring to the table makes us a much more capable team. This operation solidified the cohesion between all units here on Joint Base Charleston.”