188th Wing brings heat during Global Dragon

by Senior Airman Cody Martin
188th Wing Public Affairs

4/8/2015 - PERRY, Ga -- The 188th Civil Engineering Squadron's Emergency Management Flight arrived at the Guardian Centers, Perry, Georgia, to participate in the Global Dragon deployment for training, March 8-20, 2015.

The Global Dragon exercise provides Air National Guard emergency managers the opportunity to go through live training on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials, as well as other hazardous materials.

"I think this was a huge eye-opener for a lot of people," said Senior Master Sgt. Joshua Rich, 188th Wing emergency management superintendent. "Our younger members were able to see in a real-life environment what they won't be able to see at the school house."

Guardsmen from all 10 Federal Emergency Management Agency regions and 25 different ANG units took part in Global Dragon.

"The training is great," said Senior Airman Keenan Wallace, 188th Wing emergency manager. "It was intense right off of the bat, but in the real world that is how it is. If I am called into a real world incident, I want to be proficient in my craft."

The 188th Wing members were key factors during the exercise. Rich was the lead planner and lead cadre instructor. Master Sgt. Robby McGee and Senior Airman James McFerron, 188th CES members, were Global Dragon cadre members and Tech. Sgt. Timothy Booth, bioenvironmental engineering services noncommissioned officer in charge, functioned as the radiation safety officer for the exercise.

"I think we really identified the Airmen's strengths and deficiencies," said Rich. "They know what they're good at and they found out what they are weak at and need to work on."

Wallace, Staff Sgt. David Irvine and Airman 1st Class Greggorey Brewer, 188th CES members, participated in the exercise as well. They were key members of Team Dragon, one of two teams that Global Dragon participants were placed into. For his work in the CBRN cell, Wallace garnered the CBRN Cell Operations Award.

"We do a lot of CBRN survival skills for our base populace," said Wallace. "We can use this training to help our members improve."

Plans are in place to continue participating in Global Dragon, with the next training session scheduled for 2017. Global Dragon planners are hopeful to continue hosting future deployments for training at the Guardian Centers.

"We had immense support from the Guardian Centers staff," said Rich. "It is huge to have someone who is willing to look out for your safety while doing everything they can to take care of you. We have never had this level of support and it was an awesome environment to be in."