Yokota tests non-combatant evacuation operations

  • Published
  • By Cpl. Ashleigh Bryant
  • Air Force Print News
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNEWS) --  A C-130 Hercules filled with non-combatant evacuation role-players from Kunsan Air Base, Korea arrived at the flight line March 6 to participate in the Yokota Air Base's operational readiness inspection. The passengers were acting as non-combatants for the purpose of the exercise scenario.

There are many benefits to bringing non-Yokota residents onto base for the exercise, said Master Sgt. Duane Mosbey, the NCO in charge of NEO operations.

"A lot of times when you're going through with role players, you don't get any of the real-world situations that we're going through now," Sergeant Mosbey said. "Right now what we have is real-world people going through our process, basically as a checks and balances of our system."

The NEO staff brought the non-combatants through the entire processing line, which included establishing proper identification of each person as well as accommodating basic needs.

"It was really great to see how the whole operation went through from start to finish. We had injects that we had to go through--we had one girl who had to pretend like she had a baby, and the baby needed formula and diapers," said Senior Airman Tara St. Andrie, a NEO role-player from Kunsan. "Anything and everything we wanted, they had to make sure we were completely accommodated in every way."

Though this NEO exercise was only for inspection purposes, it also ensures airmen at Yokota are prepared, should the need to conduct real-life operations arise.

Yokota's operational readiness inspection concluded March 7. 

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