Upcoming exercise tests base preparedness

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Valerie Hosea
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Base exercises are important assets to military life. From simulated mass casualties to simulated natural disasters, each exercise has a specific training purpose.

The 82nd Training Wing Installation Exercise Programs Office ensures that the base is prepared to respond to any contingency at a moment's notice through the use of planned and no-notice wing exercises.

82nd TRW IEPO NCO In Charge Staff Sgt. Stormy Rosales said each exercise is a part of an evaluation tool for the wing commander.

"Exercises provide the wing commander a tool to evaluate the wing's ability to perform its war and peacetime contingency missions," she said. "In case of a plane crash or another emergency, it would be a good idea to have your matrix in order and know a general timeline for necessary actions to occur. We learned from the incident at Fort Hood that it is important to have a contingency plan so the proper emergency staff, medical care, community support and other necessities can be provided."

Air Force Instruction 10-2501 lists three objectives for the IEP, one of which is to provide the Installation Commander a means to plan and conduct realistic, integrated exercises and training for all installation personnel. Sergeant Rosales said exercises are a key to learning how to properly respond to emergency situations.

"We train the way we play," she said. "That means if we drill the procedures into our heads over and over, when the situation actually happens, Airmen will revert back to their training and respond as if it were second nature."

There is no maximum number of exercises the wing must conduct. However, AFI 10-2501 outlines specific minimum requirements for each type of exercise.

Each installation must conduct two annual major accident exercises, an annual natural disaster exercise, two annual terrorist use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive defense training exercises and an annual operational readiness exercise. But, the installation commander may add additional exercises.

The next base-wide exercise will involve an active shooter scenario June 1-3.