Testing Team Dover's readiness

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Matthew Hubby
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Hot and humid air swirls around the Airmen as they bunker down, fully cloaked in their Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear. Gas masks on, they duck below cover and wait as the giant voice from the command post warns them of an incoming attack. Enemy missiles impact several base structures. One causes heavy damage to a facility, forcing those inside to quickly evacuate carrying wounded service members and important gear with them.

Scenes like this were common at the Operation Readiness Exercise conducted from Sept. 10 - 17, by Team Dover and members of the 433rd Airlift Wing from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. This exercise took place at the Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport, Miss., and was designed to test Team Dover and members of the 433 AW on their ability to survive and operate in the field.

The combined strength of the 436th, 512th and 433rd Airlift Wings supplied the manpower required to stand up the fictitious 121st Air Expeditionary Wing, which was stood up in support of 'actions' on the Korean Peninsula.

The exercise covered many different scenarios, ranging from missile strikes to ground assaults. The 121 AEW members had to show they had the knowledge and skills required to survive while still being able to operate. Even as missiles demolished buildings and the gate was assaulted by protestors, the needs of the mission still had to be met.

"The ORE went a lot better than I thought it would," said Airman 1st Class Aaron Holland, a combat arms instructor with the 436th Security Forces Squadron. "It was a good experience, and it was great to get into the MOPP gear in case we ever have to use it."

Holland was stationed in a watch tower, manning a M-240 Bravo machine gun at one of the base entry-control-points during the exercise.

"The most exciting part of the exercise was the last attack by the enemy," said Holland. "They all came at us at once, requiring us to use our skills and implement what we learned at the same time."

Of course, the ORE was not all about fighting the good fight. The responsibility for making sure the Airmen were healthy and fit for combat fell on the medical group.

"We had a lot experienced people with us, so it wasn't too difficult for us to handle the situation," said Tech. Sgt. John Graham III, an independent duty medical technician with the 436th Aerospace Medicine Squadron. "It was great to be able to fully do my job, and treat patients. The hardest part was dealing with the mass casualty events. If we got more than two or three serious injured, we were stretched a little thin."

However, this didn't stop the medical professionals from ensuring the safety of their patients.

"During the last day when the enemy broke through the wire, we ensured our location was secure and our patients were safe," said Graham. "There were people banging on the door, but we did everything we needed to ensure no harm came to the patients in our care."

The ORE provided Team Dover an opportunity to make mistakes and correct them in preparation for the Operation Readiness Inspection in December.

"We came here to deliver," said Col. Cal Mercer, vice commander of the 436 AW and commander of the 121 AEW during the exercise. "I am confident in our team's ability to support the joint operation of the ORE and ORI."