AFE Airmen practice decontamination techniques Published Aug. 29, 2016 By Airman 1st Class Abby Finkel 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- The 48th Operations Support Squadron hosted its first U.S. Air Forces in Europe Aircrew Flight Equipment Chemical Defense Mobility Exercise at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, Aug. 22 to 25. The exercise trained AFE personnel on new procedures used to decontaminate aircrews exposed to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear contaminates. “[We are training on] new published guidelines on the process,” said Master Sgt. Chelsey De La Fuente, 48th OSS AFE flight chief. “This gives us a chance to validate the processes and work together.” AFE technicians from across USAFE train together to ensure they work seamlessly as a team before utilizing their skills in the field or on a deployment. “No matter where you come from, the procedures are identical,” said Chief Master Sgt. Troy Bauerbach, USAFE Headquarters AFE functional manager. The training consisted of a combination of classroom lectures, as well as participation in hands-on scenarios.