Testing terror response skills

Published March 15, 2006
By Jake Shaw
482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. -- Air Force reservists from the 482nd Fighter Wing held a mass casualty exercise here March 14 based on a simulated suicide car-bombing near the base's main entrance.

The training was part of a week-long operational readiness exercise, which acts as a self-assessment of the wing’s ability to go to war.

During the exercise, a "terrorist" simulated detonating a car bomb, killing himself and killing or injuring several civilian and military bystanders.

“When something like this happens, there’s no time to think,” said Tech. Sgt. Chris Loria, 482nd Security Forces Squadron. “You have to rely on your training.”

As disaster response teams arrived on scene to assess the situation, "intelligence reports" informed security personnel that another terrorist with a car bomb was in the area, waiting for the opportunity to do more damage to the base.

“The first thing we had to do was make sure the area was safe enough for our medical responders to go out and treat the wounded,” said Master Sgt. John Frank, 482nd SFS shift supervisor.

Once the area was secured, the emergency medical responders from the base fire department set up a triage area and began evacuating the wounded to a safe area and treating those with critical injuries.

While the wounded were receiving initial treatment, security personnel remained vigilant, searching for the second terrorist reportedly in the area.

Meanwhile, local law enforcement agencies set up roadblocks at all streets leading to the base to stop the secondary attack that intelligence reports had warned of.

According to Col. Randy Falcon, 482nd FW commander, the training was important because it tested Homestead ARB’s ability to react to a scenario that the military currently faces overseas.

Participants in the scenario included Air Force Reserve Command first responders such as security forces, the base fire department and medical personnel as well as local civilian law enforcement officials.

Airmen in the 482nd SFS planned the exercise to prepare themselves for the possibility of a domestic terrorist incident. The training also furthered their working relationship with local law enforcement agencies.

"We have agreements with many local, state and federal agencies off base that tell us all exactly what role we all play in any given emergency situation, but it’s critical to practice and be proactive in case something like this really happens," Colonel Falcon said.

“In a real emergency, we won’t get a second chance to do this the right way,” he said.