U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Megan Zimmerman, an aircraft loadmaster with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, prepares a landing zone for UH-72 Lakotas from the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 376th Aviation Regiment at Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, Wis., Aug. 22, 2026, during exercise Patriot 26. The Air National Guard-hosted exercise brings together approximately 1,000 Airmen and Soldiers from National Guard units across 35 states, along with federal, state and local agencies, to enhance domestic response readiness and interagency coordination during large-scale emergencies. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Angelee Barnett)