EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — Nearly 300 reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing arrived at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, for annual training April 18.

During the two-week deployment, operations and maintenance personnel will support Emerald Warrior, an exercise designed to train forces for combat. Reservists from the 419th Mission Support Group will also participate in the annual tour training.

“This annual tour gives us an opportunity to exercise both our strategic and operational capabilities,” said Lt. Col. James Greenwald, 419th Emerald Warrior detachment commander. “We are exercising a large-scale mobilization that proves that, if called upon, we can move at a moment’s notice. We are honing our operational capabilities by practicing joint operations, which is similar to our current deployed mission.”

The 419th FW is made up of more than 1,100 Citizen Airmen who, in addition to one weekend per month, complete two weeks of hands-on training each year to hone their skills and ensure they are ready to perform their duties in a deployed environment.

Throughout the two weeks, about 60 active-duty Airmen from Hill’s 388th Fighter Wing will also work alongside 419th reservists.