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ECEX exercise integrates, synchronizes response teams

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tarelle Walker
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron readiness flight coordinated an exercise here Friday in an effort to enhance their warfighting methods by streamlining the response to emergency situations on base.
 
"The biggest benefit of the exercise was it provoked sharing and collaboration of knowledge among the various squadron representatives," said Senior Master Sgt. T.K. Stoudt, Installations and Missions Support Directorate readiness functional manager. "Each person brought a different skill set and something new to the table." 

The exercise participants included security forces, the fire department, explosive ordnance disposal, bioenvironmental engineering and CE readiness. 

The idea behind this exercise was to develop some familiarity between the units ahead of time instead of waiting until a crisis happens and then trying to take a crash course in synchronizing efforts, according to Sergeant Stoudt. 

"Our motto is: you can't be handing out your business card when you arrive on scene," Sergeant Stoudt said. "You have to know the players in the game; you have to know their cell phone numbers, their radio frequencies, etc. So you can make an integrated response happen as soon as you hit the ground." 

Each unit played a vital role in the team effort. EOD Airmen performed an exercise in which they controlled robots from a nearby vehicle to take samples from a simulated suspected explosive device.
 
The procedures used to combat emergency situations have remained unchanged for years, but the recent exercise showcased the much-needed adaptations. It also allowed Airmen to get a feel for them. 

"We are getting away from the Cold War type of threat preparation, and we're getting more into the asymmetrical threat," said Senior Airman Cole Reinbold, 379th ECES readiness section. "We don't know what's coming at us, so we have to prepare for everything." 

The exercise was held to eliminate any distance or communication problems between parties in order for them to be more effective when their services are required, he said. 

"They get to be friends and they learn each other's names," said bioenvironmental engineer, Maj. Scott McDonald, deployed from Brooks City-Base, Texas. "So if we have to do this in real life, then they'll all know each other, but more importantly they'll try to work together and learn how each organization and different function is going to address a common problem."