Davis-Monthan, Laughlin conduct hurricane readiness exercise

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sara Csurilla
  • 47th Flying Training Wing public affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  Personnel from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Texas emergency management agencies conducted a hurricane readiness exercise here May 29 through June 4. 

The exercise was designed to prepare members of Davis-Monthan's rescue squadrons to work hand-in-hand with federal agencies to provide support to areas effected by one of the large, and often deadly, storms. 

"This exercise was about preparing us to partner with multiple government agencies to provide support to the nation in its time of need," said Lt. Col. Joe Pace, 79th Rescue Squadron commander. "We absolutely feel prepped and ready to execute actual rescue missions during the 2009 hurricane season."

If a tragedy like Hurricane Katrina were to threaten the Gulf Coast again, the squadron is ready, he added. Even if this means working alongside their civilian counterparts.

"The federal government has a substantial part to play in helping disaster victims," said Capt. Matthew Ross, 47th Flying Training Wing chief of exercise and evaluations. "The president has tasked the Department of Defense to work with civil governments to save lives. Here at Laughlin, we can help by bedding down rescue forces and this exercise helped us practice that."

The exercise kicked-off with Laughlin and Davis-Monthan simultaneously receiving a mock warning order and a chart showing a hurricane in-bound from the Gulf of Mexico. 

After both bases received an exercise execution order to come to Laughlin, their advance team and main forces arrived and set up the Rescue Operations Center. 

The following two days of the exercise required members of Laughlin and the 563rd RQG to work hand-in-hand with members of the Border Patrol, Texas Task Force, National Park Service, Customs and Border Protection and the Val Verde Regional Medical Center to practice saving mock hurricane survivors.

"We made our first rescue within the first 24 hours," Captain Ross said.