Photo By Staff Sgt. Demond Mcghee | 190926-F-VL625-1113 A 4th Security Forces member takes a simulated suspect into...... read more read more
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Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. --
Team Seymour conducted an Antiterrorism/Force Protection Exercise from September 23-26, 2019, on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina to strengthen the base’s abilities to respond to security threats.
The purpose of the exercise is to ensure members of the 4th Fighter Wing are prepared to respond to real-world disturbances and actively use preventative measures to deter any potential security threats.
“Exercises like the one this week are intended to evaluated our base response actions to potential workplace threats,” said Col Montgomery, 4th Fighter Wing vice commander. “While I have complete confidence in Team Seymour’s ability to identify, engage and mitigate any real-life threat to our base, our equipment and aircraft, or our facilities, exercises like this provide our professionals an opportunity to practice scenarios that challenge their training and decision making.”
Members of the installation’s Wing Inspection Team (WIT) held a series of simulated events throughout the week with the objective of seeing how first responders identify and respond to spontaneous high-risk scenarios.
Among the simulated events was a scenario testing the security at the main entry control point of the installation. During the event, Airmen of 4th Security Forces Squadron at the Berkley gate were tested on their ability to properly prevent and simulated hostile individual from breaching the perimeter with a vehicle.
The Airmen were able to safely detain the exercise suspect without any threat to the base population or its assets while securing the gate.
“This successful response to the gate runner event emphasized the importance of a harmonized ‘See Something, Say Something’ mentality, said Master Sgt. Larry Mozell, 4th Inspector General inspector. “Simulated events like these are not only intended to evaluate our capabilities, but to also identify effective practices which extend beyond written instructions, and could be shared and implemented across the installation.”
In addition to testing first responders, WIT members also tested various high-volume areas on the installation, such as the Exchange and the Commissary, all Team Seymour members knew how to report suspicious activities to the proper authorities.
“Force protection is a joint effort,” Mozell said. “All Seymour Johnson members; military, civilian, and family members, must serve as a sensor in order to ensure the installation’s safety.”
Exercise volunteers were asked to take pictures of building entrances or act suspiciously to see if shoppers or anyone nearby would report the questionable activity to the proper law enforcement channels.
Installation Force Protection Condition conditions were also changed frequently to test the installation’s ability to properly change from one security stance to another.
FPCON is a military system that installations use to dictate levels of security based off any threats to its assets or personnel. In order to ensure the system works properly, the 4th FW Inspector General office organize FPCON exercises to keep base personnel educated on procedures and ready to respond to threat.
This is our time to improve,” said Montgomery. “We want to make sure if something were to happen that Team Seymour is prepared.”
At the conclusion of the exercise, members of the WIT team and IG office gathered together as part of the threat working group to make recommendations to the 4th FW wing commander on actions to take in order to improve the base’s response processes in the future.
“The Threat Working Group serves to analyze all intel from the exercise to determine solutions to mitigate and counter relevant threats.” Mozell explained. “It also helps us identify points of emphasis for future exercises.”
This will not be the last exercise emphasizing installation security. As this exercise ends, the 4th IG is already hard at work planning the next exercise to ensure we are using safe practices to keep everyone from Team Seymour safe.
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 09.30.2019 10:51 |
| Story ID: | 344591 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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