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Airmen from the Illinois Air National Guard’s 126th Air Refueling Wing participated in a town hall Sept. 13 with Maj. Gen. Bryony Terrell, the deputy director of the Air Guard.
The town hall at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, provided Airmen returning from deployment the opportunity to share their experiences and discuss ways to improve future deployments and reintegration.
Facilitated by Col. Nicolas Henschel, the wing commander, the event focused on hearing directly from Airmen who recently returned from overseas deployments. Terrell expressed her gratitude to the redeployers for their service and emphasized the importance of understanding their experiences, challenges and recommendations.
During the town hall, Airmen raised concerns and offered feedback on several aspects of the deployment process, including communication, equipment, training and reintegration.
Discussions also highlighted the importance of providing Airmen with the resources and hands-on training necessary to feel prepared for future missions.
“The goal is to take what we learn from each transition and make the next one smoother than the last,” Terrell said. "It’s important to identify areas for improvement and bring those lessons back to Air National Guard leadership to strengthen processes and procedures.”
The conversation also addressed the broader role of the Air Guard and the importance of maintaining a forward presence alongside active-duty counterparts, allies and partners.
Terrell and attendees discussed the continued demand for Guard support and the need for deployers to effectively balance operational requirements with the realities of Airmen’s lives outside of military service.
“Our strategy overall is to get back to predictability; that’s the sweet spot for the Air National Guard,” Terrell said. “That’s the three-legged stool; you have your families, employers and military duties, and our plan is to get you back to a steady state.”
For the Air Guard, retention depends on creating predictability for its members while continuing to meet mission requirements. Maintaining that balance allows Airmen to contribute to global defense while also supporting their families and civilian careers.
As redeployers continue their transition home, the town hall reinforced the importance of reintegration resources, including continued access to mental health support and assistance as Airmen return to their families, employers and communities.
“What I want from this is, at a headquarters level, to take your feedback about your experiences while you were the deployed and the challenges that you faced and address them,” Terrell said. “We should already mitigate challenges right now as they are going on so that the next echelon of deployers does not experience them.”
The visit concluded with an opportunity for Airmen to share individual deployment experiences with Air Guard leadership and fellowship over lunch provided by the Wounded Warrior Project.
The feedback shared during the town hall will help Air Guard leadership identify opportunities to improve deployment preparation, execution and reintegration for Airmen supporting future missions, Terrell said.
—By Tech. Sgt. Ariana Freeman
126th Air Refueling Wing
