387 ESFS conducts FPCON delta exercise

Photo By Master Sgt. Jonathan Hehnly | Several 387th Expeditionary Security Forces response team members discuss postings for personnel during a force protection condition delta exercise at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, April 27, 2017. The 387th Air Expeditionary Group conducted a force protection condition delta exercise to demonstrate base defense capabilities in response to increased terrorist threat levels. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Hehnly)  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

04.27.2017

Story by Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Hehnly 

386th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA – The 387th Air Expeditionary Group conducted a force protection condition delta exercise at an undisclosed location on Friday.
The exercise was used to demonstrate and test base defense capabilities used to protect the many U.S. servicemembers and coalition partners who live, work and transit the base daily.
“Beyond the AFI requirement, one of the things we take away from exercises like this is our interaction with our host nation partners,” said Lt. Col. Jason Medsger, the 387th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron commander. “Our host nation partners were not active role players in the exercise but they were involved in the months of planning and coordination that led up to today.”
The Department of Defense uses force protection conditions to implement standardized security measures at military installations in response to terrorist threats levels. As the threat of terrorist activity increases so does the FPCON level and security measures associated with it. There are five FPCON levels: Normal, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta, with Delta having the most heightened security.
The integration of a host-nation international airport, with heightened security measures from an exercise, made pre-planning and communication that much more important in the months leading up.
“Building this exercise was a challenge in itself,” said Master Sgt. Bill Lewis, the operations training NCOIC with the 387th ESFS. “The goal was to create an exercise to meet the delta measures our unit needed to satisfy AFI requirements, but without affecting the host nation’s real world airport functions.”
After months of planning with the host nation partners and fine tuning of the details the civilian ambulatory services, emergency management, force protection, security forces and fire personnel were ready to be evaluated on their response.
Situational awareness was heightened for members of the 387th ESFS through several intelligence briefs on increased threats of terrorism in the local area during the month leading up to the exercise. Along with the intelligence reports, ESFS members ran through a warm-up scenario where ESFS personnel received a report of suspicious activity and made contact with a suspicious person who had indicators of terrorist activity.
Once the 387th leadership declared FPCON Delta, all nonessential activities and movements in the immediate area were suspended and resources were focused on base defense.
Some of the aspects of base defense during the exercise were increased base access security, increased security patrols and explosive ordnance training.
Medsger said that both he and the evaluation teams were impressed with the response capabilities, communication and efficiency of those who participated.
“The exercise went really well,” said Medsger. “What I think made it a success for us was the planning and motivation. Motivation to succeed was high, which is always important for a commander. If your airman are not motivated to succeed it’s not going to work so when I hear that they were motivated to succeed then I know their minds are in the game all the time. They are ready for anything.”

• Date Taken: 04.27.2017
• Date Posted: 05.28.2017 10:04
• Story ID: 235595
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)