Exercise Tests 911th’s Ability to Survive and Operate

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jonathan Hehnly
  • 911 AW/PA
PITTSBURGH IAP ARS --  The 911th Airlift Wing began early preparation for their next operational readiness inspection by conducting an ability to survive and operate exercise in October. The exercise was used to ensure base members know how to properly respond to a hostile attack while maintaining the base's operational capabilities and still fulfilling mission requirements.

"Exercises are a critical part of our mission," said Col. James B. Finney, 911th Airlift Wing commander. "They allow us to put forth a wing-wide effort to help us identify areas that we can improve on. Once identified, we can better focus our training to address those areas needing additional attention," he said.

Lt. Col. Patrick S. Ryan, 911th Mission Support Group commander said, "the exercise's purpose was three-fold. The purpose is to test the base's ability to pass information up and down the chain of command, practice the wearing of the ATSO equipment, and to familiarize base members with the alarm conditions and the actions to take."

The two-hour long scenario took Airmen through the various attack warning signals and mission-oriented protective postures. An exercise evaluation team was spread across base to help monitor members, assist with the donning of protective equipment and ensure proper responses were being taken.

Once "Alarm Black" sounded, twenty-two post-attack reconnaissance teams emerged from buildings around the base. The teams made up of two to four Airmen from each building, identified, marked and reported unexploded ordnances, and reported on possible chemical contamination.

"The exercise was also an opportunity to test the 911th Airlift Wing command and control function's ability to ensure proper and accurate information flow," said Paul Dayen, Director of Emergency Management.

When the presence of an UXO was confirmed, it was necessary for PAR team members to communicate effectively up the chain of command, starting with the report to the unit control centers. The UCC would then forward the information to the emergency operations center, which would then advise the base commander and the crisis action team on appropriate courses of action.

Once the CAT made a decision on how to proceed, its instructions had to be passed back down the chain of command to the PAR teams in a timely and effective manner.

"The biggest issue for the exercise was information exchange up and down the chain of command," said Lt. Col. William Bush, 911th Mission Support Group deputy commander.

Communication is a key component of keeping the base fully mission capable, especially in an attack scenario. The amount of time it takes for information to travel between the wing commander and the lowest ranking person in the field effects the base's mission and efficiency.

"The exercise was an outstanding success," said Colonel Finney. "We met all of our goals with regard to command and control execution, donning protective equipment, achieving required MOPP conditions and identifying unexploded ordnance during the post-attack phase. In exercises like this, attitude is everything. It was evident during every aspect of the exercise that the members of the 911th Airlift Wing are ready, willing and able to meet these challenges head on," said the colonel.