Photo By Tech. Sgt. John Linzmeier | Joint Aircrew flight equipment technicians from various Pacific Air Forces units and...... read more read more
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Hawaii Air National Airmen completed a chemical warfare and decontamination exercise on September 2, at JBPH-H alongside joint and total-force partners.
More than 70 Airmen and U.S. Marines participated in the weeklong training event called Toxic Pineapple, where service members collaborated to streamline decontamination practices.
Daily scenarios and academics were held at the installation’s Base X training grounds, focusing on the recovery process for aircrew members exposed to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or Explosive material.
“To keep things simple, we call aircrew members ‘slimed’ after they’ve been contaminated during their mission,” said Master Sgt. Roderick Baker Jr., 154th Operations Support Squadron F-22 Raptor aircrew flight equipment NCO. “As soon as the pilots return, they would be received by our decontamination line and are asked a series of questions. We will then inspect the M-8 paper to see if CBRNE agents are detected and guide them through a process to break down their protective gear safely.”
AFE and emergency management Guardsmen from the 154th Operations Support Squadron and 154th Civil Engineer Squadron combined their capabilities with Active-Duty Airmen stationed throughout the Pacific region.
Additional participation included members from U.S. Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kunsan Air Base, Korea, Kadena AB, Japan, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, JBPH-H’s 15th Wing and career field managers from PACAF and the U.S. mainland.
While the military outfits across the DoD have access to different equipment and infrastructure for setting up decontamination zones, Toxic Pineapple’s procedures were designed to standardize practices that members from all backgrounds can execute.
The joint setting demanded multiple decontamination zone configurations to be set up, tailored to support the needs of different service-branch mission sets. Members executed processes for aircrews in well-established air bases and applied expeditionary methods more suitable in bare, field environments.
“This training allowed us to talk about best practices and to get to know what we should be prepared for as we move forward, especially in a joint environment,” said U.S. Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer Dennis Taylor, Marine Aircraft Group-24 CBRNE Defense officer-in-charge. “The idea that I may receive Air Force pilots at any time, or they might receive Marine pilots at a time, or just knowing that personnel may need to be deconned at any moment. Now we’re better prepared to do that, tactically and effectively, with whatever we have around us.”
Members were also challenged to experience the process from an aviator’s perspective to familiarize service members with the intricacies of decontamination. Participants assumed the role of a ‘slimed’ aircrew member and endured the sanitation process while donning the aircrew ensemble and additional layers of CBRNE protective gear.
“This lets us experience exactly what can be expected from the aircrew as they are deconned,” said Baker. “Getting pat down, communicating effectively, all while dealing with all the heat and stress related to being exposed to contamination. But more importantly, it allows us to evaluate how others put their training into practice. It’s all about giving them the opportunity to practice and see the process from both ends.”
Some personnel attended Tropic Pineapple without having prior CBRNE qualifications. But after an initial two-day training period, Taylor said all were able to set up and maintain the decontamination line without supervision.
Exercise participants were presented with training certificates at the end of the week for completing the Aircrew Control Contamination Course, administered by career-field instructors from Dyess Air Force Base.
| Date Taken: | 09.02.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 10.06.2022 14:50 |
| Story ID: | 430878 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 114 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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