UNDISCLOSED LOCATION -- Airmen from the 332d Air Expeditionary Wing Security Forces Squadron participated in an active shooter operations rehearsal at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Jan. 31, 2023. The rehearsal served as training for a possible real world scenario where either an insider or outsider threat may occur.
Master Sgt. Sean O’Brien, 332d ESFS self-assessment program manager says the training is not an indication of a heightened threat and simply part of remaining ready to defend the base.
“This is something that is practiced everywhere, it’s a worldly threat, not necessarily anything to do with where we are. It may not be one of our main threats, but it’s still something we train on and conduct because it’s important.”
The scenario began with a call of a possible shooter in a building, which security forces Airmen then had to locate and subdue.
“What I hoped to see was a very proper response. It needed to be tactical, but still thoughtful and safe. At the end of the day the goal is make sure everyone gets to go home.”
Apprehending the shooter is only the end result, however. They were also evaluated on their procedures leading up to the capture, such as entry and clearing protocols, identifying others in the building who were not shooters and getting them to safety without risking additional lives.
“This group did that,” said O’Brien. “They did a good job. If this was a real scenario this would be how we want it to go.”