Base-wide exercises test installation’s response to various scenarios

  • Published
  • By Will Huntington
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio -- As activities wound down following Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s base-wide exercises last week, life quickly returned to normal around the installation.

On the surface, the scope of the activities during the week may not have been as apparent to many around the installation, but behind the scenes Wright-Patt’s units found themselves being assessed by the Wing Inspection team on several issues throughout the course of the week.

“These exercises give us a great opportunity to not only prepare for contingencies, but to also assess our processes and keep our vital skills honed,” Col. Brad McDonald, 88th Air Base Wing Commander, said.

Under the heading of ability to deploy, WIT team members assessed the 88th Logistics Readiness Squadron on its ability to execute its cargo deployment function in accordance with the base’s installation deployment plan.

Uniformed Airmen at many locations found their knowledge assessed on how they would operate in their jobs at a deployed location as individual career field mission capabilities, also known as MISCAPS, came under scrutiny. Some Airmen had to take a test to evaluate their knowledge on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense operations in a high threat area.

A variety of other topics, including bomb threat response, communications outages and proper usage of an automated external defibrillator, or AED, filled the evaluator’s checklist of assessments at several locations on base.

An active shooter response exercise on Thursday served as the capstone, and most visible event of the week’s activities as personnel across the base responded to the news of an active shooter at the base hospital.

At the scene, emergency responders rushed in to neutralize the volatile situation playing out in Internal Medical Clinic A. Upon arrival, they learned that the shooter had committed suicide after causing several casualties.

“It was great to see Team Wright-Patt in action so soon after my arrival,” McDonald added. “I know that our military and civilian workforce can rise to the occasion, whatever the task may be.”

After the exercise concluded, WIT members turned to the task of recording their assessment observations to flesh out lessons learned and help those units evaluated begin to correct any deficiencies found through the course of the week.

The next base-wide exercise is scheduled to start Oct. 31 and conclude Nov. 4.