Team McConnell responds to mock tornado

Airman 1st Class Javone Roles, 22nd Medical Operations Squadron mental health technician, rests while a response team assesses her mock injury March 4, 2014 at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. Teams of Airmen practiced their self aid and buddy care skills during a major accident response exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier)

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Team McConnell responds to mock tornado

Senior Airman Thomas Refour, 22nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Travel Management Operations journeyman, is supported by 1st Lt. Mark Koch (left), 349th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, and Airman 1st Class Zack Pease, 22nd Operation Support Squadron aviation resource management journeyman, March 4, 2014 at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. He was treated for a mock-leg injury during a major accident response exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier)

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Team McConnell responds to mock tornado

Staff Sgt. Ben Burdick, 22nd Civil Engineering Squadron firefighter, prepares to lift a patient on a spinal board during a major accident response exercise March 4, 2014 at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. Firefighters arrived on scene of a mock-tornado incident after ‘victims’ received first aid. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier)

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Team McConnell responds to mock tornado

Airman 1st Class Chelsa Woodward, 22nd Maintenance Operations Squadron analyst, is questioned about her mock-injury March 4, 2014, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. Volunteers like Woodward were staged and attended to as though they were wounded by a tornado during a major accident response exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier)

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Team McConnell responds to mock tornado

Airmen 1st Class Victor Caputo, 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs journeyman, receives first aid during a major accident response exercise, March 4, 2014 at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. He and other volunteers simulated injuries during a major accident response exercise on base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier)

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Team McConnell responds to mock tornado

Published March 7, 2014
By Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier
22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- Team McConnell participated in a county-wide major accident response exercise on March 4.

Base units responded to a mock-tornado emergency, from its initial warning to the recovery of 'injured' victims.

"There's a high probability of severe storms and tornados around here, so we need to be able to make sure we can assess the damage and the injured and get the base back on mission-ready status as soon as possible," said Lt. Col. David Mazzara, 22nd Air Refueling Wing inspector general and exercise evaluator.

Airmen assembled inside designated tornado shelters during the exercise. Once it was 'safe' to come out, Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Sparks, 384th Air Refueling Squadron instructor boom operator, and his fellow Airmen found a challenge waiting for them.

"I came out and I found several people in need of self aid and buddy care." said Sparks. "I started gathering some people and started taking care of a patient and made sure the others were taken care of as well."

The teams of Airmen in the exercise were split into three sections: players, responders and evaluators.

Players were volunteers who 'received various injuries' to act out and accept self aid and buddy care treatment from the responders. Evaluators recorded the responder's performance to assess their strengths and weaknesses.

The players wore make up to simulate injuries to make the scenario as realistic as possible, said Mazzara.

"An exercise like this is important because if something happens during the week, and we have people on base, then we can have our people accounted for and taken care of," said Sparks.