Testing terror response skills

  • Published
  • By Jake Shaw
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD ARB, 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 main entrance to the base.

The mass casualty exercise is just one part of a week-long training event called an Operational Readiness Exercise, which acts as a self-assessment of the wing’s ability to go to war.

During the exercise, a ‘terrorist’ detonated a car bomb, killing himself and killing or injuring several civilian and military bystanders.

Amid the panic and bloodshed, first responders relied on their training to sort out the mess.

“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,” he said.

As they 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 Security Forces Squadron 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 482nd Fighter Wing Commander Col. Randy Falcon, the training was important because it tested Homestead Air Reserve Base’s ability to react to a scenario that the military currently faces overseas.

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

482nd Security Forces Airmen planned the exercise to prepare themselves for the possibility of a domestic terrorist incident, but it 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, said Col. Falcon.

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