Trident Juncture: 143d Airlift Wing Supports Key NATO Exercise Published Oct. 23, 2015 By MSgt Janeen Miller 143 AW/PA 10/22/2015 -- North Kingstown, Rhode Island - Two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft and twenty-eight Airmen from the 143d Airlift Wing departed for Spain this week in support of NATO's Exercise Trident Juncture (TRJE15). The Airmen departed from Quonset Air National Guard Base, North Kingstown, Rhode Island on October 19th and included personnel from a cross-section of operational, support and maintenance specialties. The largest NATO exercise in over a decade, Trident Juncture is a EUCOM-supported, NATO-led exercise and will involve 33 countries performing maneuver warfare, amphibious assault and other large-scale combat practice in Portugal, Spain and Italy. Trident Juncture will involve 36,000 troops in more than 230 units, 140 aircraft, and 60 ships. The participant nations will be focusing on information sharing, threat prediction, mobility and adaptability of forces, identifying areas that need built-in resiliency, strategic communications and each nation's security network. Exercise Trident Juncture aims to train the troops of the NATO Response Force (NRF) and other Allied forces, to increase their readiness to respond to a wide range of challenges. It will ensure that they can work seamlessly together, collaborate with partners, and engage in crisis response together with international organizations. The 143d Airlift Wing is the only Air National Guard unit and the only United States Air Force mobility unit participating in TRJE15. The aircraft and Airmen from the 143 AW will participate in several tactical missions including coalition personnel airdrops, the resupply of forward operating bases and will be providing key logistical support for the exercise. The exercise runs from October 3 to November 6, 2015. Part One (Oct. 3-16) tested command and control elements of the NRF and highlight NATO's ability to work with external actors. Part Two (Oct. 21-Nov. 6) is a live exercise, hosted by Italy, Portugal and Spain.