Altus participates in IPP exercises

  • Published
  • By By Senior Airman Clinton Atkins
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Air Force and Science Applications International Corp. personnel worked together to provide valuable severe weather and emergency response training to Altus AFB personnel during exercises as part of the Installation Protection Program Feb. 26 and 28.

The first exercise tested Altus AFB's severe weather response procedures. The severe weather response exercise served as a measuring tool for each unit's shelter-in-place procedures in case of a tornado threat, which included use of the alert radio.

"I think we did well," Maj. Steven Strasbaugh, 97th Air Mobility Wing Inspections. "There are a lot of areas we can work on. If I can encourage anyone to do anything it would be to make sure they check their alert radios and make sure they are functioning properly."

The second exercise was the result of a year's worth of planning.

"For the past year, [Altus AFB] has been working with SAIC who have provided three different exercises for us," he said. This was the final exam exercise in the series [the contractors] gave us."

Major Strasbaugh said that SAIC provided Altus AFB with equipment and training to help the base to better deal with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive used against us on the base.

In the simulated exercise, terrorist used a suspected chemical agent. We tested our ability to respond, contain the situation, get people to safety and get them medical treatment and then to recover the base.

"We test processes from the wing commander down to personnel on the scene," he said. "We try to look at all of those processes in between to make everyone is responding and communicating correctly."

Major Strasbaugh said the evaluators on the Exercise Evaluation Team are experts in the processes involved and ensure checklists and operating procedures are correct for all areas from initial scene assessment to determining the hazard to providing decontamination and treating casualties to overall command and control.

Compiling data for the report is still ongoing. The official results of the exercises will be released on a date to be determined.

Once all of the data is collected Altus AFB will know what units are and are not compliant with Air Force and Air Education and Training Command standards.

"Overall, [Altus AFB has] learned a lot from these exercises," Maj. Strasbaugh said. "We have a lot of items [from the out-brief] to take back to the personnel so they can better improve their processes.

Major Strasbaugh said that Altus AFB has to conduct exercises quarterly at a minimum.

"These exercise are important to ensure our readiness in real world situations," he said. "The more we do exercises, the better we'll get."

Major Strasbaugh said another way to increase proficiency is to "always treat [the exercises] as if they were real. It will improve both their training and the training of the responders."

Major Strasbaugh also said that the exercise wouldn't have been as successful as it was without the help of Mike Roher of Altus Aircraft Services, who provided a key exercise prop.