Post-Attack Recon teams clear the way

  • Published
  • By Jake Shaw
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD ARB, Fla. --  BOOM – you hear an explosion and people scatter amid cries from wounded Airmen. 

Your first instinct is to help, but you have to wait until someone gives you the ‘all clear’ to go outside. 

It can be confusing in the aftermath of a chemical, biological, or missile attack, so the Air Force Reserve uses post-attack reconnaissance teams to let you know when it’s safe to venture outside. 

Post-attack reconnaissance is a base-wide effort that manages the flow of information up and down the chain of command after an attack, and the PAR teams are among the first teams released after an attack. 

Together with airfield damage assessment teams, explosive ordnance disposal teams, readiness reconnaissance teams and security forces personnel, the PAR teams become the eyes and ears for commanders. All initial recovery decisions after an attack are based on the valuable information these teams provide. 

That’s what makes PAR teams important, according to Tech Sgt. Karen McDonald-Payne, a PAR team member from the 482nd Maintenance Operations Flight. 

When you’re attacked you only have seconds to get your gas mask on; it’s intense, said Sgt. McDonald-Payne. 

“Sweat runs into your eyes and it burns and you get uncomfortable, but you have to move quickly and keep going if you’re on a PAR team, because everyone is counting on you to clear the way, she said. 

After an attack PAR teams begin checking for casualties, marking unexploded ordnance, evacuating individuals who surround the area, performing self-aid and buddy care and reporting facility and equipment damage, said Sgt. McDonald-Payne. 

But PAR teams do more than provide information to commanders. They also provide valuable training to Airmen from a variety of career fields. 

PAR teams are heavily involved in exercise scenarios, so they see a lot more action and gain valuable experience from being on the team, according to Sgt. McDonald-Payne. 

Sgt. McDonald-Payne says she’s not an expert at many of the tasks the PAR teams perform, so she relies on her Airman’s Manual to make sure she does things correctly. 

“It’s my bible, and if you use it you’ll learn to do things the right way,” she said.