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Contingency response team trains to move Americans out of harm's way

Published March 14, 2012
By Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres
621st Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Airmen from across Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst joined forces March 6 through 8 in an exercise training for noncombatant evacuation operations.

Members of the 817th Contingency Response Group, 87th Medical Group and special dedicated agents from Detachment 307 of the Air Force Office of Special Investigation came together to form a purpose-built Contingency Response Element that honed the skills needed for future NEOs.

The exercise scenario presented to the 621st Contingency Response Wing was to deploy to a Central American nation and evacuate more than 4,500 American citizens before a volcanic eruption of 'catastrophic' intensity occurred. Fewer than three hours after the team was recalled and assembled early in the morning March 6, a comprehensive plan of action was in place to brief the 621st CRW commander. A few hours later, approximately 40 Airmen in the CRE were receiving their pre-departure briefings for what would have been an immediate departure, had the scenario not been an exercise.

"A NEO is oriented around the safe and rapid movement of noncombatants out of a danger zone," said Capt. Mike Modesto, 621st CRE commander. "Unlike a humanitarian relief operation or an aerial port opening that could have us on the ground for up to 45 days or more, the anticipated length of a NEO is much shorter. It may only take a few days to evacuate everyone, so the way we build a team and operate will be much lighter and more focused on passenger processing and tracking."

Early the next day, the CRE arrived at an exercise area near the CRW headquarters building, and specialists in each field immediately began to guide the actions of the entire CRE as it raised tents for passenger processing, ran power and communications lines and pulled barbed wire into a ring around the small compound. They had no time to spare. Fewer than 30 minutes after arrival, CRW Airmen dressed in civilian clothes and acting as evacuees began to walk up to the gate of the camp for processing.

From the moment they entered the first tent to be searched, the questions began on both sides of the table.

"When can I leave?"
"Do you have a cough?"
"Can I bring my dog?"

Each answer ("Soon." "No." and "Not yet.") brought both groups closer to their goal; the safe transport of every American citizen from the danger area as fast as possible. As the crowd grew, so did the list of concerns a NEO team could face while deployed -- lost paperwork, belligerent evacuees, aggressive media attention, sickness.

Chief among these problems was the medical status of the evacuees.

A few of them were complaining from symptoms of active tuberculosis, and at one point an elderly man suffered what appeared to be a heart attack. These are issues not normally faced by a CRW, said Modesto.

The CRW specializes in establishing air mobility operations around the world on very short notice, but they are not equipped or trained to handle the medical needs of a large group of evacuees, he explained. To provide this expertise, the CRW called upon the skills of the 87th MDG's Global Reach Laydown Team.

"The role of the GRLT is to provide deployable basic medical screening and emergency care for the evacuees and support staff," said Lt. Col. Vince Kirkner, 87th MDG exercise evaluation team chief. "The GRLT will also make arrangements for seriously ill or highly contagious patients to be treated with more definitive care by specialized aeromedical evacuation teams."

The GRLT consists of a flight doctor, a public health officer, a bioenvironmental engineer and an independent-duty medical technician.

In addition to medical concerns, issues relating to passenger processing, flight scheduling and communications were all explored during the training.

Having the opportunity to work out possible issues in local exercises could save lives when every moment counts, explains Staff Sgt. Tanner Krien, 817th CRG air transportation specialist.

"Every moment we can practice and hone these skills at home increases our chances of success downrange," he said. "We are called to respond, and after exercises like this one, I feel we are more and more ready."

The benefits of local exercises aren't just confidence inspiring, explained Modesto.

"We are able to hold this exercise less than a thousand feet from our headquarters and our total cost was only $300 for some portable sanitation," he said. "We were able to save thousands on airlift and equipment transportation and focus all of our time and energy on training instead."