Sailors Keep Skills Sharp During COVID-19

May 19, 2020 | BY ROD HAFEMEISTER

A "protestor" approached the gate at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, wearing an inert personal-borne improvised explosive device — a fake bomb vest — during a security training exercise.

With or without the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected this May 12 exercise, the station's security forces need to be able to respond to any emergency.

Naval Security Forces personnel ordered the simulated protestor to halt, drop the vest and walk backward toward the gate.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Joshua Cannon, the drill evaluator, called a temporary halt to conduct "reach-through" training.

After removing the handcuffs, Cannon demonstrated how to make the suspect lock his hands behind his back and bend forward — after which Cannon grasped his fingers.

"This way you have more control over him," Cannon said. He then demonstrated the most effective way to handcuff the suspect.

Cannon demonstrated all this while keeping his face mask in place — such is the way of training during COVID-19 — working for realism while also protecting personnel from potential exposure.

"That's the reality of training. They're not always going to maintain 6 feet of separation because they have to handle people," Randy Foust, the base training officer, said. "It's their job."

The gate protest was part of a series of six anti-terrorism training exercises conducted on NAS Kingsville that day. Other scenarios included a simulated unmanned aircraft system crash on base, a driver who failed to stop at the entrance gate, an active shooter situation, a bomb in a car and a hostage situation.

Besides base security forces, the exercise included Fire and Emergency Services personnel responding to simulated injuries, and role players acting as representatives of city and county emergency agencies, hostage negotiators, explosive ordnance disposal experts and Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents.

To facilitate a comprehensive training evolution, the base Emergency Operations Center, which used multiple conference rooms with video capabilities to ensure compliance with Navy physical distancing mandates, was activated.

Joseph Richardson, the base anti-terrorism officer, said such drills serve two purposes.

"They not only let us train our watch standers, they also let us validate our plans and see if we need to make changes," he explained.

The COVID-19 safety measures are an additional challenge, he continued. "Sometimes we do not have time to take extra precautions when responding to an incident," Richardson said.

The exercises were conducted in training mode. This provides the opportunity to correct mistakes on the spot or in briefings immediately after a particular drill, Richardson said.

There is also an evaluation mode.

"That's where we evaluate how well they perform and if they've retained their training," he said.

Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 safety measures, such exercises are essential to keep the base ready for actual emergencies. They also ensure the base remains on track with the Navy's shore training and certification cycle.

The 18-month cycle, managed by Navy Installations Command and U.S. Fleet Forces Command, begins with a Command Assessment of Readiness and Training, or CART.

A successful CART is followed by a regional assessment nine months later. The last part of the cycle is the Final Evaluation Problem — success results in certification that is good for 18 months before the cycle begins again.

In 2017, NAS Kingsville was the first installation certified under the program, and in January 2020 it completed its second regional assessment. Scheduling for the Final Evaluation Problem is pending due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

In the meantime, similar exercises will occur on a regular basis, Foust said.

"Our goal is to be ready," he added.

(Rod Hafemeister is assigned to Naval Air Station Kingsville.)

Army Corps of Engineers Helps Montana Prepare for COVID-19 Future

May 19, 2020 | BY Michael Glasch

In the three and a half months since the first COVID-19 case was diagnosed in the United States, Montana continues to have the second-lowest number of total cases and the lowest number of cases per capita of any state in the country. Those low numbers did not stop the state's leaders from enlisting the Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District to prepare for the future fight against the virus.

On April 17, Montana requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency to task the Army Corps of Engineers with building an alternate care facility in Kalispell, located in the northwest corner of the state.

"As Montana begins the process of reopening, we remain vulnerable to a potential spike in cases," said Army Maj. Gen. Matthew Quinn, the adjutant general for Montana and leader of the Montana Coronavirus Task Force. "The extra capability this facility will provide to hospitals throughout the region is critical to ensuring the continued safety of our population. We must make sure that we take every step now to prepare for a potential second wave later in the year."

The alternate care facility is being built on the vacant, undeveloped, third floor of Montana Children's, the new pediatric facility at the Kalispell Regional Medical Center. The facility signed the lease May 4, which allowed the Army Corps of Engineers to issue the $2,643,703.12 contract the following day.

"After the award is given, the contractor has 21 days to mobilize to the area, and to complete the entire build out of the alternate care facility," said Ryan Field, the Kalispell alternate care facility project manager withUSACE-Omaha. "That in and of itself is unique."

Work on the project began May 11. Within four days, what was once a 26,250-square-foot empty shell was transformed into a recognizable framework of patient care spaces that could be used in the fight against the pandemic. When completed, it will have 98 patient care rooms, seven nurse's stations, four restrooms, three pharmacies and a medical supply storage room.

"It's an expansive, open space," Field explained. "Some of the biggest challenges so far have been that one, there are no utilities here. The utilities stop at least one floor below us, so we have to pipe utilities up to the third floor. A second challenge has been getting materials to the third floor without the use of elevators. The elevators the hospital has don't have the load capacity we need. We have to take out windows and bring everything in through the windows from the parking lot below."

Each day more than 50 contractors work 12-hour days to lay framework, hang sheetrock and install the electrical and plumbing utilities. It is a project that many hope will never have to be used.

"The Omaha District is leveraging our extensive construction capability and expertise to build the additional bed space capacity in support of the request by the state of Montana and FEMA," said Army Col. John Hudson, the commander of  the Omaha District. "Ultimately, we hope these additional bed spaces will not be needed. But, if they are, the spaces will be ready and available to support the greater Kalispell community."

That is a sentiment Field echoes.

"There's a personal touch with this project," he said. "It's different if you're working on a levee or a dam or a tornado and you know where the danger is, you know where the hazard is, you know where the impact is. You don't know where this is. So, you know, it is a great project to be on — knowing that you hope it is never used, but knowing that if it is used, that you help the people in this region."

The facility is scheduled to be completed before the end of May. When the pandemic ends, the state of Montana will remove the patient pods and equipment and store them at a state facility for possible future acute care facility needs.

Spangdahlem Firefighters Tame the COVID-19 Flames

May 19, 2020 | BY AIR FORCE SENIOR AIRMAN MELODY HOWLEY

With fire and emergency services holding the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron Fire and Emergency Services Flight is staying mission-ready by implementing new safety measures to keep members safe while training and responding to calls at a moment's notice.

''We do a complete wipe-down of all high-touch surfaces at a minimum of three times per day,'' said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Ostrom, the flight's chief of operations. ''We wear masks when we cannot maintain the required separation, like while driving and during training events. We have suspended all multicrew training, limited vehicle movements and have changed emergency response procedures to minimize interaction between crews where possible.''

Air Force Master Sgt. Darliska Shaw, the assistant chief of operations, said their crew has broken into separate teams to maintain social distancing as much as possible.

''This has reduced the contact that one firefighter has with other firefighters in case someone did get sick,'' Shaw said. ''We have also worked closely with the other first and emergency responders on base to ensure that we are all on the same page for responses during the increased risk.''

Not only are fire and emergency services taking the necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of their airmen, they are also staying mission-ready by working side by side with the civilian contractors.

''Being an integrated department is a great asset to our base response,'' Ostrom said. ''The reason we have civilian employees in fire protection is to provide continuity, and also provide a fantastic ability to support the local community with our mutual aid agreements. Many of our members are also volunteer firefighters in the local communities and provide much needed technical translation to ensure we are on the same page with tactics, techniques and procedures where miscommunications could prove hazardous.''

Shaw said civilian and military integration is part of their everyday mission.

''Military members bring their experience from different bases and deployments because we tend to move around often,'' Shaw said. ''The civilians bring experience from usually being at a location for an extended time and knowing the base and aircraft very well. The teamwork between our airmen and our host-nation civilians is great.''

Shaw said their biggest challenge during COVID-19 is airmen having to live close to each other while on duty, but they are overcoming this with consistent adjustments to procedures..

''Distancing is difficult in a fire department; it’s like trying to distance yourself in your house from your family members,'' Shaw said. ''It's been a lot of changes in schedule, everyday procedures, and life in the fire station, but the department has adjusted, as we always do.''

Ostrom said he could not be prouder of the airmen during this time.

''The COVID-19 situation has required each of them to alter their standard responses and think of new ways to accomplish the mission,'' Ostrom said. ''We have postured ourselves to provide the maximum protection for each of our individual members to inhibit virus transmission, as well as maintaining the maximum level of mission support to ensure the airfield and our base populace is protected for any emergency situation.''

(Air Force Senior Airman Melody Howley is assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing.)