23rd Wing conducted an aircraft accident response exercise at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia

 

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, GA, UNITED STATES
03.28.2024
Story by Senior Airman Deanna Muir 
23rd Wing  

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The 23rd Wing conducted an aircraft accident response exercise at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, March 26, 2024.

This home-station exercise simulated a hard landing of an HH-60W Jolly Green II with injured aircrew members and tested Moody AFB Airmen’s communication and response capabilities in an emergency.

“The purpose of exercises like these is to test the wing’s first response and follow-on response functions,” said Master Sgt. Branden Stanley, 23rd Wing Inspector General inspection manager. “This ensures Team Moody Airmen have confidence in their ability to respond quickly and efficiently in the event of a real-world scenario.”

Subject matter experts from various career fields provided desired learning objectives to the 23rd Wing Inspector General office. The IG then built the exercise around these objectives to test each agency's ability to integrate.

An aircraft incidents require immediate coordinated action from first responders, safety personnel, maintenance teams, and security forces.

Given the multitude of agencies involved, effective and transparent communication is critical during recovery operations where swift action is paramount to safeguarding lives and resources.

“During any incident response, communication is key,” said Jeremy Valler, 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department station chief. “We have to make sure that we are accurate and we're giving the best information we can to those who make those big decisions.”

Ensuring Airmen are ready for any scenario is vital. The Wing Inspection Team assesses operations throughout the exercise, pinpointing areas for improvement and facilitating the necessary repetitions to refine future response capabilities.

“Incidents like these aren’t very common; however, they can happen,” Valler said. “Having exercises that give us scenarios we aren’t used to doing gives us valuable experience on how to mitigate them.”

Aircraft accident exercises are an annual requirement. They serve as vital opportunities to hone tactics and procedures while fostering collaboration with other agencies around the installation for a streamlined and rapid response.

“We hope the Airmen take away the need to be prepared for all these types of scenarios and build upon the understanding that small-scale incidents can rapidly balloon into larger incidents,” Valler said.

While this exercise tested home-station response, the knowledge gained from agency integration will prepare Airmen for future operations in austere locations that lack resources.

Jeremy Valler, 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department operations officer, center, receives updates during an aircraft accident response exercise at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, March 26, 2024. Aircraft accidents require response from first responders, the safety office, maintenance squadrons, and security forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Deanna Muir)

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Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Steven Eaton 
Massachusetts National Guard Public Affairs  

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New York Army National Guard conducts wildfire training drills along Mohawk River

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Starting Monday, you may see helicopters circling the area but there's no need to panic.

That's because the New York Army National Guard black hawk helicopter crews will be conducting wildfire training drills.

The drills be along the Mohawk River between the Twin Bridges and Route 9 starting Monday at noon and ending at 4 pm.

It will continue from 10 am to 4 as needed throughout the week ending on Thursday.

The aircraft will be dropping giant orange collapsible buckets into the Mohawk River, and then returning water the river.

This replicates the skills needed to fight a wildfire.

Rangers from the Department of Environmental Conservation Forest will also participate in the training as they are often responsible for guiding Army National Guard helicopter crews onto a fire target.

The last time New York Army National Guard helicopters were used to fight a fire was in August 2022 when a fire was burning at Minnewaska State Park Reserve near Ellenville.

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DJIBOUTI
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Story by Capt. Owen Dietrich 
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa  

U.S. Army combat medics from Task Force Paxton, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Pennsylvania National Guard joined Air Force Pararescue from the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, Navy Corpsman from 2nd Air Control Squadron, and French Security Forces with Military Working Dogs to conduct Canine Tactical Combat Casualty Care Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. Mar. 26, 2024.

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“It was a great learning experience, I enjoyed the opportunity to learn how to properly treat and take care of our four legged brothers in case of an emergency.” said Cpl. Yaa Adom, a combat medic Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 112th IN Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Task Force Paxton, Pennsylvania National Guard.

Military working dogs are a common asset used in military security forces. Task Force Paxton medics rotated through three medical stations including how to perform an ultrasound on a canine patient, how to splint broken limbs, stop massive hemorrhaging, and how to insert a chest tube.

Cpl. Adom worked hand in hand with U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Kayla Udizinski of the Fleet Marine Force to insert a chest tube into a medical training mannequin modeled after a dog with severe injuries.

“It was pretty cool being able to work with other branches to blend and share knowledge.” Adom said when asked about working with members of other services and foreign allies.

After the medical portion of training was complete the students moved out on the flight line to a waiting CV-22 Osprey. French Security Forces demonstrated how to hook the CV-22’s hoist to the dog’s harness and lift the canines into the aircraft.

For most Soldiers this was the first time working with different branches of service, foreign allies, and Military Working Dogs.

At the completion of the course Sgt. Payton Royer, Apache, 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Task Force Paxton, Pennsylvania National Guard stated it was a “privilege to work with the other branches and our allies” and feels confident that he and his “medical section can treat and save our canine counterparts” whenever and wherever the mission calls.

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