Article

The 321st Contingency Response Squadron conducted exercise Gilded Cage 26-1 at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts, from Dec. 1-6, 2025. The exercise involved deploying a Contingency Response Element of 88 Airmen and a Contingency Response Team of 25 Airmen to receive simulated humanitarian aid while maintaining security against adversarial attacks in cold weather.

Objectives included manning defensive positions and developing base defense plans. New learning objectives included operational tests of small Unmanned Aerial Systems for force protection and counter UAS tactics.

The exercise also featured joint training with U.S. Marine Corps and Air National Guard units for sling load and drop zone operations.