IBD Airmen: prepared to defend and fight

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Shen-Chia Chu
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  A journalist carrying an M-16 rifle ... that may sound odd, but it's typical for an Airman working as an Integrated Base Defense volunteer.

Many people I met while on the job know me as Airman 1st Class Shen-Chia Chu, an Airman who works for public affairs. In my career field, staff writers tell the Air Force story of the Airmen and the mission through news articles. I usually carry a notepad for writing stories at Dover Air Force Base, but during the Major Accident Response Exercise March 9 - 11, I had the chance to suit up and become an IBD Airman.

No matter what type of job an Airman has - whether they fix the aircraft, serve food at the Dining Facility or train as a firefighter, they can be tasked to become part of the defense force under a concept known as 'Integrated Base Defense.'

These Airmen are trained to be prepared to face unseen challenges during a base crisis. IBD learn to operate in a different type of environment than they're used to, and they work as a traditional air base defense force.
Most Airmen do not work day to day with the 436th Security Forces Squadron or train with a weapon because they have their own specialty jobs. The exercise gives them the chance to experience what would happen if an incident did happen on base.

For me, the training was hands-on and close to a real-life scenario, which will help give more of a perspective on what to expect when deploying or in case of a crisis. It was a unique opportunity for me to see a day in the life of a Security Forces member.

I started my day early with the sunrise at 5:30 a.m. I reported for duty at the Security Forces mounting building at 6 a.m. for my 12-hour shift. After signing in, IBDs were told to put on 'battle-rattle,' which is what we gear up with - helmet, flak vest, and other equipment in an olive-green bag along with our rifles or pistols.

After a briefing and receiving specific instructions for my post, I went to the armory to check out a weapon and a radio. I felt like a soldier at war - wearing the bulky vest, strapping the helmet onto my head and the smell of gun powder from the armory on my battle dress uniform.

A Security Forces Airman walked me through the proper procedure to clear the M-16 and I was good to go with my weapon fully loaded and three extra magazines in my pouch, I was finally ready to be posted as the guard for the Installation Control Center, where the wing commander and wing leadership gather together during the MARE.

It is an important responsibility when tasked with safeguarding the commander of the base. I was nervous because I didn't want to make any mistakes - it's not everyday I get to be a body guard for the wing commander! So I studied meticulously and memorized my duties and instructions as the guard for the Command Post.

Even though this was an exercise, I thought of this as a real-world situation. I was sitting in front of a door, remaining vigilant and aware to pick up on any suspicious activity. No longer was I just a door guard. I inspected packages and bags that were carried in and answered radio calls from dispatch about my status.

As I sat and waited with rifle in hand the unthinkable happened - squadron commanders started charging out of the door with a sense of urgency and said to me, "there are noxious fumes in the building, everyone needs to evacuate."

I learned from this scenario that when an unexpected circumstance shifts the entire operation, one needs to remain calm and be flexible with plans that change. Not everyone can be completely prepared for every kind of scenario, because there are too many variables that could go wrong. I was given guidance from wing leadership as to what I must do next.

It is hard to tell if one is truly ready until faced with the challenge, but the training I received for IBD was a realistic tool to gauge my readiness. I realized if I were called to defend my base, I will need to train for better reaction time to events and physical stamina to be able to carry all my equipment and weapons.

This training gave me a glimpse of what to expect, I've not only learned protocol for my duty, but more importantly the mindset one needs to have. I feel more comfortable now after I have already learned the basics of being an IBD Airman and how to function when faced with different situations. By the end of the day, I enjoyed my experience, but I think I'll leave the real job up to the security forces members.