Desert Wind exercise prepares Team Edwards for variety of challenges

  • Published
  • By Kenji Thuloweit
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Readying Airmen for deployment; a dirty bomb detonation; a suspicious package, were just some of the challenges thrown at Team Edwards during Exercise Desert Wind 11-4.

The Operational Readiness Exercise and Emergency Management Exercise ran from July 18 through 20 to test the base's emergency response capabilities.

The three-day exercise tested the base's Airman mobility process, emergency response, and emergency communications capabilities. The purpose of the EME is to test how well the base responded to, communicated and managed an emergency situation.

Phase I of the exercise tested Edwards' mobility readiness for Airmen. Thirty-eight Airmen lined up to be deployed, making sure their personal and training records were up to date.

Twenty-one Airmen took part in Phase II, which involved the Ability to Survive and Operate requirement. The Airmen completed familiarization training.

Other components of the exercise were the Disease Containment Plan Table Top Exercise; a suspicious package scenario at Bldg. 2650A; a dirty bomb scenario; Crisis Action Team Active Shooter training; and CAT Chemical Weapons Treaty Compliance Training.

"The Disease Containment Plan Table Top Exercise and Dirty Bomb Scenario are Medical Group requirements," said David Bookrum, 95th Air Base Wing exercise program manager. "The Phase I and Phase II are standard requirements that get our troops ready for real-world deployments and higher headquarter inspections. The training opportunities were use to complete CAT requirements."

The exercise tested the incident commander's control and management of the scene, the Emergency Operations Center and CAT to provide support to the incident commander as well as orchestrate base response; the 95th Security Forces Squadron's ability to cordon off the area surrounding the explosion and the 95th Medical Group's ability to respond to a situation with casualties. The EME also tested the ability of the occupants of each building to adhere to various Force Protection levels by requiring their implementation.

"Generally the personnel involved perform very well, we just have to work on base involvement and awareness to ensure that our responders are able to effectively carry out the missions," said Bookrum. "An example would be personnel moving around near cordons or street closures, also the knowledge and adherence of FPCON requirements."

These exercises are designed to help Edwards Airmen when they deploy, as well as during a Unit Compliance Inspection.