New joint training enables Airmen, Soldiers to respond to emergencies

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- Airmen from the fire department and Soldiers from a quick reaction force at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing conducted a joint training exercise July 15 to learn how to work together effectively during an emergency situation.

This is the first time the Army's QRF and the Air Force-operated fire department have worked together during an emergency.

"The motivation as well as the coordination of the event showed that we as joint services can train on our own tasks, and when the need arises, we can come together and get the job done," said Army Master Sgt. Lee Rodriguez, the NCO in charge of force protection for the 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.

As mission partners, the Airman and Soldiers of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing must work together. This exercise aimed to test each group's emergency preparedness.

"The purpose of today's training was to help the Army test their quick response team and coordinate inter-service operations to mitigate a significant incident," said Tech. Sgt. Ryan McCabe, the assistant chief for safety, training and logistics with the fire department at the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron.

The exercise scenario combined real-world events with simulated incidents. In the scenario, personnel were called to respond to an external fuel tank that had been dropped from an F-15 Eagle onto the Patriot site here. The initial blast wounded a responding entry control point Soldier. To add reality to the scenario officials had staged an actual old fuel tank on the ground with several small fires in buckets around it to simulate the incident.

"An Army quick reaction force team was called out and the fire department and medical were called to the scene," Rodriguez said. "The wounded Soldier was treated on the scene and prepped for transport at the 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment medic tent. The Army QRF cordoned off the area and waited for 380th AEW fire department to arrive."

The first fire responders arrived on scene less than 10 minutes after the initial 911 call was placed. The firefighters used regular hoses to fight the fire at first, and then the crew from the airfield crash truck practiced spraying water at the base of the fire.

"The training was very beneficial for both the Army and the Air Force," McCabe said. "Both parties learned how each other's unit works in an emergency situation, and now understand how to coordinate with each other for the purpose of mitigating the incident."

While the teams initially had to overcome some communication issues, the exercise allowed both the Airmen and the Soldiers to see the larger picture and develop a game plan, Rodriguez said.

"The coordination with the Army was seamless for this exercise," McCabe said. "Master Sgt. Rodriguez had specific goals and objectives set for his QRF units as I did for the fire department crews. Both parties learned the importance of better communication between the two units."

Effective cooperation from all parties involved can prevent the loss of lives and equipment in fires, where seconds can be the difference between success and failure, Rodriguez said.
This exercise showed the Airmen and Soldiers that with a little planning and teamwork, they can respond to a fire in a timely manner, he added.

"After this exercise, each unit has a better idea of what the other's roll and responsibilities are and what the expectations are if this were a real incident," McCabe said.