Holloman readiness put to the test

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sondra Escutia
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Team Holloman personnel participated in a Major Accident Response Exercise here July 23, putting Holloman's readiness to the test. 

The exercise scenario involved a C-17 Globemaster III that declared an in-flight emergency after two engines were damaged during a hailstorm. It was carrying seven personnel and a special weapon when it crashed short of a runway at Holloman. 

This type of MARE is a yearly requirement for all ACC bases to maintain readiness and to exercise emergency response functions of personnel. 

"These exercises maintain readiness of our emergency response forces, our follow-on forces and maintain readiness and qualifications of our command and control personnel," said Wayne Paddock, 49th Fighter Wing Planning and Exercise and team chief for the MARE. "Each of the different agencies that were part of the response got the opportunity to practice with other groups that they don't train with everyday." 

To make the scenario realistic, the exercise coordinators used the Fire Training Pit to simulate an aircraft on fire and used role-players to simulate causalities in the aircraft. 

"Role-players are used to simulate the emergency phase of these exercises so we can exercise everything we'd do in the real world but within safe limits," said Mr. Paddock. 

Upon arrival to the accident scene, fire and emergency services personnel put out the simulated fire and removed the victims from the aircraft. They were then moved to a safe distance from the scene where medical personnel performed triage and prepared them for transportation for further medical care. Then the area and the weapon were assessed. 

"As a result of the simulated crash, the special weapon was involved in fire," said Mr. Paddock. "After it was put out and weapon was cooled down, the area and the weapon itself had to be assessed by [Explosive Ordinance Disposal] for damage and the presence or absence of any radiation." 

And the first responders were not the only ones to exercise their skill-set during the MARE. Behind the scenes, command and control members maintained control of the situation by standing up the emergency operations center, installation command center and until control centers, where each unit was represented. 

Additionally, the command and control personnel successfully planned for the reception and bed down of the Air Combat Command Continental United States Response Task Force, said Mr. Paddock. 

"The ACC CONUS Response Task Force is a group of people that would respond to any type of radiological event such as a nuclear weapon accident in the CONUS," he said. "There is a long list of requirements for their reception and bed down to turn the accident scene over to them." 

Although each unit was performing functions that are not part of day-to-day business, Mr. Paddock believes that the exercise was a success. 

"Overall it went pretty well," said Mr. Paddock. "We did it safely and we took the correct actions. Everyone is well prepared to do their job."