CBRN training a priority for Liberty Wing

Photo By Staff Sgt. Damien Taylor | Airmen assigned to the 512th Airlift Wing prepares to cordon an unexploded ordinance during the Ability to Survive and Operate training event Oct. 14, 2017 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Approximately 350 Airmen received hands-on training in a simulated radiological environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Damien Taylor)  

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DE, UNITED STATES

10.16.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Joe Yanik 

512th Airlift Wing

More than 350 reservists from the 512th Airlift Wing sharpened their survival and contingency response skills as part of an Ability to Survive and Operate readiness training event, Oct. 14-15, here.

The training focused on refreshing their knowledge of how to respond and perform normal duties in the event of an attack involving chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials.

The reservists participated in a two-hour CBRN course conducted by the 512th and 436th Civil Engineer Emergency Management flights during which they reviewed how to properly wear, maintain and store M50 Gas Masks and chemical protection garments designed to be worn over their uniforms.

In addition to reviewing how to ensure the safety of themselves and each other before an imminent CBRN attack, they simulated pre-attack action steps to protect Air Force assets from contamination and cordoning off areas where there is contaminated by CBRN materials or where there is unexploded enemy ordnance.

Some of the reservists from the 512th Operations and Maintenance Groups who participated in the CBRN training donned gas masks and protective gear while working at their regular duty stations on the base’s flightline.

"One of the several scenarios our Airmen worked through was to simulate assessing possible damage to one of the gear assemblies of our aircraft,” said Master Sgt. Kenneth Smolecki, unit deployment manager for the 512th Maintenance Squadron.

He added some aspects of the normal duties being performed, like typing on a laptop keyboard or communicating among Airmen, were made more difficult due to the gas masks and bulkiness of the protective overgarments.

“Our Airmen were able to identify these challenges and find ways to overcome them, like using pencils to type and using hand gestures to communicate,” said Smolecki.

The possibility of Airmen being exposed to CBRN attacks remains a concern for the U.S. Air Force.

As recently as this past summer, senior Air Force leaders mandated that Airmen must undergo CBRN defense survival skills training once every 18 months. Previously, the training had been mandatory for Airmen once every 36 months.

Col. Craig Peters, 512th AW commander, said that preparing for contingencies like is a priority for the Liberty Wing.

“In keeping with our wing’s mission to ensure our Citizen Airmen are ready for global engagement, their ability to survive and operate in CBRN environments required renewed focus,” Peters said.

This 512th AW's ATSO training finishes during the UTA in November.

• Date Taken: 10.16.2017
• Date Posted: 12.13.2017 15:35
• Story ID: 258741
• Location: DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DE, US