The best always train for the worst

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eli Chevalier
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Sometimes the best way to improve is to just be thrown right into the heat of things.

This was the exact approach taken by the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron emergency management instructor cadre during a recent chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive training event at Royal Air Force Feltwell, England, to meet U.S. European Command’s focus on improving readiness.

During the exercises, trainees were tasked with maneuvering as a unit to recover simulated “casualties” and perform self-aid and buddy care under the duress of non-lethal weapons fire, while in mission-oriented-protective posture gear, which has six levels of protection against a variety of CBRN agents.

“The drill allowed the trainees to practice their skill sets in a high-operations tempo battle scenario,” said Tech. Sgt. Peter Torres, 48th Civil Engineer Squadron NCO in charge of plans and programs. “It demonstrates how effectively they can respond under pressure, and since it is training, it gives them a chance to benefit from lessons learned.”

One lesson occurred when a team was experiencing issues with their radios, and couldn’t communicate with each other. As a solution, they opted to use a runner system to relay information instead.

Thinking on their feet and coming up with creative and viable solutions to problems prepares the trainees for complications they may run into in real-world scenarios, and provides them with a baseline for operations in those situations.

“I learned a lot about CBRNE and it was a really good refresher on SABC in a combat environment,” said Staff Sgt. Justin Bennett, 48th Security Forces Squadron emergency communications center controller. “Security Forces can be tasked to deploy at any time to any place, and certain situations can happen out of nowhere, so we always have to be resilient when [an emergency] happens.”

Resiliency and the ability to perform under pressure are valuable skills that are instilled in every U.S. Airman from day one of basic training. Being able to call on those skills in simulated CBRNE scenario develops confidence, which one day could provide the resilience to continue mission through adversity.

“The main purpose of anything we do in the Air Force is mission continuation,” said Torres. “Having this training and honing these skills will ultimately enable airpower.”

Enabling airpower is not just about employing precision strikes, it’s about preparing Airmen who are capable of performing their duties in the global, joint-force environment under all circumstances.