Base agencies team for exercise

Published June 7, 2013
By Staff Sgt. Patrick Harrower
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A task force composed of Airmen from multiple agencies on Travis participated in an Integrated Base Emergency Response Capability Training exercise along with emergency management and an off-base contractor this week.

The purpose of the exercise was to practice how each group can use its abilities to overcome a crisis on base.

The task force meets once per month and goes through a quarterly exercise to remain sharp. The scenarios are always different to keep the force on their toes.

"Our goal is to stay as proficient as possible," said Glenn Munn, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron fire protection specialist. "We are constantly in a planning state that allows us to keep improving our readiness state."

Meeting every month assures that the forces can get to know each other. It also gets new people up to speed with the force and allows them to get to know the other members faster, Munn said.

"Sometimes a new person might have performed a task differently at the base they were at before here," Munn said. "They may have some better techniques and this is a great way to involve those."

The force spent two days in the classroom to go over different training scenarios and checklists before heading out to the field for the rest of the exercise.

"We go over the equipment capabilities and do a walk through of possible scenarios in the classroom," said 1st Lt. Michael Vickers, 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron bioenvironmental engineer. "The response checklists are verified before we go into the field as well. We cover anything from a natural disaster to a terrorist incident and wartime functions."

A third-party contracted agency is brought in from the outside to evaluate the task force and keep the pressure on it to perform, Munn said.

"There will never be a finished product for what we do," Vickers said. "We are constantly practicing and pushing ourselves to get better. Having a third party evaluate puts the pressure on us to perform better."

There always is something the force can learn and take away from any exercise or meeting. Whether it's incorporating new technologies like digital tablets and smart phones or working with outside agencies, they constantly improve their techniques, Munn said.

"Protecting Travis is the bottom line," he said.