Daniel Conrad, Grissom Fire Department firefighter, checks blood pressure of Staff Sgt. Mitchell Birdsong, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron emergency management specialist from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., during All-hazards, Tactics and Applications for Comprehensive Knowledge and Understanding course at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., May 19, 2015. During the course, 434th Air Refueling Wing fire department, services, security forces, aircraft maintenance and logistics pulled together to meet requirements needed to host the event. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Mota)
Photo by Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Mota
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. - While most people run from disasters a small group of others move toward them, but without specialized training that might not be possible.
That specialized training came from a unique 10-day course known as All-hazards, Tactics, Techniques for Comprehensive Knowledge University - or ATTACK-U. This event allowed emergency management specialists from nine major commands to unite and hone emergency management principles while incorporating combat skills and obtaining mandated annual recertification requirements here at Grissom April 20-May 1 and again May 11-22, 2015.
In order to host the course, the 434th Air Refueing Wing fire and emergency services, services, security forces, aircraft maintenance, logistics and emergency managers pulled together to provide the support requirements.
"Air Mobility Command conducted four site surveys; however, Grissom was selected to host the course based on their outstanding logistical support and overall capability of being able to support this event," said Senior Master Sgt. Michael Henderlong, Headquarters AMC EM superintendent from Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. "We considered everything from lodging, equipment needed for support and most of all the EM flight and the subject matter expertise they were able to provide."
During the event, eight cadres united to provide 48 trainees a variety of classroom and hands-on training.
"Attack-U is a classroom and hands-on training environment built to address training needs of our 3E9 Airmen with a focus on preparing them to perform their duties in an all-hazards environment by addressing their training requirements," said Richard Farnsworth, Headquarters Air Combat Command emergency management analyst and course facilitator from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
The course was developed after ACC and AMC were able to retain funding in an effort to enhance EM proficiency training and replace contracted training that had been cut due to budget constraints with qualified Airmen.
"This year's training takes an adaptive approach to expose EM Airmen to evolving planning efforts that combat emerging threats while also meeting multiple wartime task standards and annual proficiency training certification requirements," explained Henderlong. "This is the only training event in the Air Force that brings emergency managers together to meet war mobilization plan manning requirements.
"This setting is more essential than ever as units no longer conduct operational readiness inspections allowing large scale chemical biological radiation and nuclear training events to practice these critical skills," he added.
Curriculum for this year's course was developed using surveys and data collection during prior training exercises.
"We coordinated with Headquarters Air Force to receive the most current intelligence from real-world EM scenarios and make adjustments to integrate that information into a condensed course," said Daniel DeAngulo, 434th Mission Support Group base emergency manager and course facilitator. "This allows the course to be consistent with what Airmen could see in a deployed war-time environment."
One of the scenarios for this year's course mimicked the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster that resulted in a nuclear meltdown after a tsunami damaged a nuclear power plant in Japan.
"The training was extremely beneficial," said Staff Sgt. Mitchell Birdsong, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron EM specialist from Travis Air Force Base, California. "This is the only environment where I can receive training that prepares me for real world scenarios I might encounter during an actual deployment."
In addition to providing essential training, the course also allowed emergency management specialists an opportunity to network with other individuals in their career field.
"Far too often we overlook the importance of socializing new ideas, issues and solutions with those with experiences other than our own," explained Farnsworth. "This course is unique in that it unites people in the career field and provides a training venue capable of adapting to and incorporating current events and threats that will enable our emergency managers to continue progress in the Air Forces and the ability to support our national security strategy."
