National Guard wraps up airborne training at Columbus airport

The Indiana National Guard has wrapped up a training exercise that led to operations of a C-130 Hercules at the Columbus Municipal Airport this week.

Guard members from Indiana worked with forces from Ohio, Illinois and Idaho in the exercise that ran Tuesday and Wednesday conducting static line non-tactical airborne operations from the large aircraft.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Matt Purdy, the joint exercise primary jumpmaster, called it a humbling experience to be able to push more than 25 soldiers out of an aircraft and have them all make a safe landing.

According to the Indiana National Guard, the joint training is vital because it allows units to maintain their airborne insertion capability — the swift deployment of ground forces by airplane to an area of operations.

The Guard said that the training also promoted interoperability between elements of the Indiana and Idaho National Guards, the U.S. Air Force, and the Army Reserve.