Preparing for the worst

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman La'Shanette V. Garrett
  • 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, LA. --  No member of the Air Force is expendable; Airmen are taught to rely on their training in times of attack. One such training prepares Airmen for the possibility of a Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear attack.

The 2d Civil Engineering Squadron offers a weekly CBRNE class to provide all Air Force military personnel as well as emergency-essential civilians with the necessary knowledge and skills to survive and operate following an attack involving such threats. Prior to attending class there are two computer-based training courses that have to be completed.

"Many people assume we would never get attacked with CBRNE weapons," said Staff Sgt. Elyce Holloway, 2d CES readiness and emergency management training noncommissioned officer-in-charge. "But the possibility is there, and we must be prepared to survive and operate in these circumstances. I hope that this training will never have to be used for real-world purposes. As the old adage goes, 'prepare for the worst, hope for the best.'

"Our personnel must be able to operate in any environment to complete the mission, and if we are unaware of the actions to take to be able to operate while protecting ourselves and those around us, the mission will become impossible to complete," stated Sergeant Holloway.

The class is where attendees receive the hands-on and evaluation portion of the course. This allows the students to actually see in action what they have learned from the CBT's. The instructors evaluate those actions to ensure personnel understand the material presented in the CBT's.

The class entails inspecting, fitting, donning and proper wear of the MCU 2 A/P mask, ground-crew ensemble, pre-attack actions, post-attack reconnaissance planning, transition control points and reporting procedures just to name a few.

During class, the instructors show the students how to properly wear their mask, carrier, boots, gloves and the second skin in the mask. Once the demonstration is over, everyone is asked to suit up and inspect their partners.

After the inside training is over, everyone proceeds outside to suit up in two different mission-oriented protective posture levels.

The first level is MOPP 2 which consists of the wearing of overgarment, overboots and field gear. In this level, the students train on what to do in a pre-attack or post-attack, covering the vehicles and sweeping of the TCP.

MOPP 4 is the final level and consists of the wearing of the overgarment, protective mask, gloves overboots and field gear. While suited up, the students proceed to the M8 stands and practice running size, activity, location, unit, time and equipment reports. Attendees also learned how to respond to unexploded ordnance, causalities and how to use the injectors if someone is suffering from a nerve-agent poisoning.

"The parts of this training that made me feel more confident were reading the M8 paper properly," said Tech. Sgt. John Parson, 2d Communication Squadron cable maintenance technician. "As well as ensuring the chemical warfare suit is properly worn. If you cannot properly put a chemical protection suit on, then you have no chance of survival. Furthermore, if you cannot properly read the M8 tape, you could put the lives of countless people in jeopardy if the information you provided to the Unit Control Center is inaccurate."