Airmen practice runway repair, RAAF airmen observe

  • Published
  • By Scott D. Hallford
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AFPN) --  Approximately 110 personnel, most from the 36th Civil Engineer Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, attended the Det. 1, 554th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer Silver Flag exercise here last week.

After a week of mostly classroom training in their respective Air Force specialty codes - civil engineers, services, personnel support contingency operation and contracting - the students of Silver Flag had to orchestrate together to restore a damaged airfield and be able to receive aircraft within eight hours.

"We put craters in the runway which engineers have to repair with a couple of other scenarios going on at the same time," said Staff Sgt. Jason Blair, Det. 1 554th RED HORSE instructor.

As the engineers are repairing holes in the runway, others are preparing lighting for the runway, manning decontamination areas, putting out fires, neutralizing unexploded ordnance and assessing suspected biohazards.

"There's a lot going on at one time," Sergeant Blair said. "And while all that is going on, the students are under chemical and conventional attacks, which adds to the stress."
Though the weeklong exercise culminates with the runway repair exercise, it begins with putting skills to the test.

"When the students arrive, the site is totally bare," Sergeant Blair said. "On day one, their first mission is to begin their beddown operation. Personnel members get accountability of all Airmen, engineers beddown students, and services personnel assign lodging and provide meals from MREs to A-rations or fresh food."

The training at Silver Flag often cannot be duplicated at home stations due to the lack of equipment availability, time constraints and training space.

"Silver Flag helps because we don't have the capability to do all these things," said 1st Lt. Matt Burrell, acting as the 36th CES disaster control center officer in charge. "This gives us the chance to get hands-on training and come together as a team."

Six members of the Royal Australian Air Force were also on hand to watch the week's training.

"The observers from the RAAF were extremely impressed with both the content of the exercise and how it was run," said Squadron Leader Iain White, RAAF Headquarters Combat Support Group executive officer. "The exercise has provided an insight into how the U.S. Air Force conducts airbase beddown and recovery operations, and also how they train to conduct these functions. Not only will we take home an improved knowledge of U.S. Air Force procedures, we also have some ideas for incorporation into our own training programs."

Kadena is the Silver Flag site for contingency training of all support group units in Pacific Air Forces. There are also Silver Flag sites at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and at Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Fla. Kadena teaches eight to 10 Silver Flag classes each year and provides mobile contingency skills training, essentially taking Silver Flag to Airmen at Osan and Kunsan air bases in Korea. 

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