AFRL hosts Tech Warrior 2015 exercise; new technologies being tested

  • Published
  • By Bryan Ripple
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio - --  The Air Force Research Laboratory is hosting a home station deployment exercise dubbed Tech Warrior 2015 from Sept. 8-17 at the National Center for Medical Readiness (NCMR) in Fairborn, Ohio. Exercise activities will be limited to the NCMR campus, known as Calamityville, and several training areas near the NCMR.

About 150 exercise participants are receiving training that combines both operational deployment scenarios and testing of new technologies in an integrated environment. This is the first time Tech Warrior has been held at Wright-Patterson AFB. Since 2001, the AFRL event has been held at Fort Drum Army Base in New York, although due to budget cuts it has been cancelled for the past three years.

"Our objective is to provide AFRL science and engineering personnel who have limited operational experience with the opportunity to truly learn what the warfighter goes through when deployed in a combat environment," said Lt. Col. Dave Shahady, Tech Warrior Exercise Commander.

"Tech Warrior helps increase our scientists' and engineers' understanding because they see and feel the needs of the warfighter. At the same time, additional laboratory teams take the opportunity to experiment or demonstrate state-of-the-art warfighting technologies in a realistic operational environment," he said.

In addition to testing new technologies, participants are learning many deployment-related techniques such as establishing a base camp, defending the camp's perimeter, performing self-aide buddy care, land navigation, operating M-Series vehicles, and demonstrating the ability to survive and operate after a simulated chemical attack, and many other critical skills.

Exercise participants include personnel from AFRL, Army National Guard, Wright-State University, NCMR, Sinclair Community College, and other organizations.