419th CES hosts first-ever Total Force Operation Patriot Warrior exercise

Photo By Senior Airman Erica Webster | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kameron Bradford from the 514th Civil Engineer Squadron at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, reports his findings back to base during the Patriot Warrior exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah on June 11, 2022. The exercise provides reserve Airmen from the Emergency Management career field the opportunity to learn and execute wartime tasks in a simulated environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Erica Webster)  

UT, UNITED STATES

06.16.2022

Story by Senior Airman Erica Webster 

419th Fighter Wing

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – Reserve and active-duty Civil Engineer Squadron Airmen from 13 units across the country tested their skills during an Operation Patriot Warrior Exercise hosted by the 419th Fighter Wing here June 6-12.

This year marked the first time active-duty and Reserve CES Airmen came together for a Total Force exercise to focus on the Emergency Management branch of the career field. During the exercise, the CES Airmen worked together participating in real-life scenarios designed to evaluate their skillset.

“It’s a more intensive and job-specific course than in the past,” said Master Sgt. Jared Jacques, emergency management superintendent with the 419th Civil Engineer Squadron. “They attended four days of classroom training that covered 38 career field tasks including their wartime training tasks.”

Air Force emergency management specialists handle recovery and response operations after natural disasters and man-made crises and are trained in the remediation of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergencies. Their goal is to reduce casualties and help those affected by a disaster to reach safety. They develop plans and procedures to train and protect Air Force personnel to meet emergency management mission needs. These Airmen can be sent to handle emergencies anywhere in the world, as needed.

After the four days, the Airmen were able to validate their training with a two-day field exercise by responding to simulated toxic gas contamination.

“We needed to find out how much of it is there and how long it’s going to be there,” Jacques said. “It’s our job to protect everyone and clear the area so the base can return to normal operations.”

• Date Taken: 06.16.2022
• Date Posted: 06.22.2022 17:05
• Story ID: 423515
• Location: UT, US