Photo By Airman Ashton Hamby | Wing inspection team members assigned to the 1st Special Operations Medical Group...... read more read more
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HURLBURT FIELD, Fla.–The 1st Special Operations Wing Medical Group successfully maintained patient care and operational readiness during a simulated power-outage exercise at Hurlburt Field, Florida, April 1, 2026.
The power resiliency exercise challenged Air Commandos on their knowledge of backup power procedures and to adapt to an unconventional environment after a simulated car crash destroyed a primary electrical breaker box supplying the medical building.
"Power resiliency exercises are critical for ensuring our medical group can maintain mission readiness under the stress of prolonged or severe power outages,” said a 1st SOMDG Wing Inspection Team member. “The exercise allows us to identify potential gaps between mission requirements and infrastructure capabilities.”
According to the WIT member, loss of heating, ventilation and air conditioning was a key focus of the exercise. Without standard climate control, medical equipment and supplies risk exposure to temperatures and humidity levels that compromise their sterile packaging. To maintain sterility and prevent contamination, personnel had to rapidly coordinate the securing and relocation of sensitive materials across all departments, ranging from optometry to immunizations.
Medical personnel immediately initiated emergency protocols, relying on training to secure patients, communicate without digital systems and stabilize supplies before temperatures could reach unsafe levels.
"It taught me that I’m not alone,” said a 1st SOMDG records technician. “It’s a team effort, so I think it prepared me to consider the importance of communication and coordinating with each other.”
The exercise demonstrated the medical group’s ability to operate effectively despite severe infrastructure disruptions.
“You never know what could happen,” said the records technician. “It can be a cyber-attack, there could be an outage because of storms or weather, but that should not stop us from completing the mission. We still have to take care of patients.”
The 1st SOMDG’s ability to continue operations during an unexpected emergency reinforces the 1st Special Operations Wing’s commitment to maintaining a ready and prepared force.
| Date Taken: | 04.03.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2026 11:28 |
| Story ID: | 565887 |
| Location: | HURLBURT FIELD, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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