EDINBURGH, Ind.- Indiana Air National Guard, 181st Intelligence Wing, 181st Medical Group Airmen assigned to the 19th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosive (CBRNE) Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP), participated in disaster response training and evaluation exercise at Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana, Sept. 10-14, 2018.
An important element to the medical group’s mission is the CERFP, which acts as the first line of triage to victims during natural or manmade disasters.
“The most important thing about doing an external evaluation and training with the unit as a whole, is that the unit is in various places throughout the state. We are not on the same base. The air component is in Terre Haute and the army component is spread throughout the state,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen W. Bell, Indiana Air National Guard, 181st Intelligence Wing, 181st Medical Group.
The exercise evaluates members on how well they perform the mission.
“Inspectors come in and grade us and evaluate us on our operational capabilities to get the patient from the disaster zone, through decontamination, through the medical element, and to a local hospital,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Landon Hinman, medical plans and operations officer, 19th CERFP.
Exercises and evaluations are critical to mission readiness.
“It basically proves that we are ready,” said Hinman. “Ready to respond to any events that we may be called upon to respond to.”