JBER Airmen prepared with the ability to survive and operate

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Omari Bernard
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The next operational readiness exercise is around the corner, and JBER Airmen are ready.

Airmen of the 673d Air Base Wing prepare to endure the confines of full chemical gear for the upcoming exercise.

The Ability to Survive and Operate training is crucial to JBER in case of an attack or natural catastrophe. Skilled instructors are there to make sure Airmen are able to completely and correctly put on their gear and decontaminate.

"The world is uncertain with the possibilities of natural disaster or other countries' nuclear capabilities," said Senior Airman Kelly Lasaine, an ATSO instructor with the 773d Civil Engineer Squadron emergency management plans and operations. "We always need to be prepared."

The mission of the ATSO training program is to assure Airmen will be able and capable of surviving and operating in a chemical environment.

"I've been here through a couple OREs, three phase 2s, and the comprehensive unit inspection," said Lesaine, a native of Chicago, Ill. "All the ATSO instructors will be players in the exercise one way or another."

The instructors corrected simple processes like not having gear marked correctly, which results in performance deficiencies. The corrections range all the way up to the most complex things such as post attack reconnaissance routes. There are emergency-management exercises built into the large scale base wide exercises.

Airmen need to not only be able to put on their chemical protective suit safely and correctly but also take off their suit safely and correctly as well without exposing themselves to simulated contamination, Lesaine said.

Students in the ATSO training program have nine seconds to put the mask on and eight minutes to be in full and complete gear, including helmet and flak vest.

"We go through a live gas chamber with the same gear they are using," Lesaine said. "If we did not have our masks on it would kill us, nine seconds for the mask is a rule that I've seen the importance of."

The objective is to make sure all Airmen are able to accomplish the mission no matter the threat environment.