McGuire exercises base readiness Published Aug. 2, 2007 By Erin Blauvelt 305th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- McGuire recently exercised a weapons of mass destruction attack with a chemical release agent to help ensure base preparation and readiness in the event of a terrorist attack. The full-scale exercise began when a fire alarm was activated by the 621st Contingency Response Wing and ended with a participant hot wash. A full-scale exercise takes a lot of hard work and planning. This exercise was a combined effort between the 305th Air Mobility Wing Exercises and Inspections and the Product Manager Installation Protection Program. The exercise was designed to assess the operational readiness and integration of IPP provided material and non-material solutions. The scenario involved terrorists taking out two wings by hampering their control centers. The 621 CRW headquarters had to be evacuated when a sarin (GB) nerve agent dispersal device was activated. Further, the 514 AMW headquarters had to be evacuated when a second IED was found. Approximately 75 first responders were involved, roughly 120 people were forced to relocate, and 15 "victims" were treated and decontaminated for sarin exposure. While only directly affecting the 621 CRW and 514 AMW, the whole base was affected by the heightened security measures put into place. A Base Wing Exercise Evaluation Team was able to assess and analyze the installation's response procedures in relation to current DoD policy, the National Response Plan, the National Incident Management System and accepted practices associated with each of the functional response disciplines. What were their findings? George Hancock, 305 AMW XP, said he is rating the exercise's results as "Excellent, with very few findings." Similarly, the guardian team annotated in their report that McGuire met all of its objectives. These WMD exercises are incredibly useful in base preparation and readiness. This run-through will also serve as preparation for the WMD exercise for an upcoming inspection. According to Mr. Hancock, in the world we live in, it is imperative that the military is able to deal with and operate under any and all circumstances, including the threat of terrorism. It is through practice, reflection, and constant bettering that McGuire is keeping up with the challenging demands of an ever-changing and often unpredictable world. "McGuire is well prepared to deal with a terrorist attack," Mr. Hancock said. Exercise out.