Units combine for deployment scenario training exercise

  • Published
  • By Luke Waack
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The giant voice announcements heard on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson last week were part of Exercise Polar Force 11-10, Nov. 15-17.

Through cold weather and long hours, Airman of the 3rd Wing and 673d Air Base Wing worked together in Polar Force as a war fighting team and tested their ability to survive and operate in a hostile combat environment.

Air Force Col. Dirk Smith, 3rd Wing Commander, served as the Exercise Polar Force 11-10, Air Expeditionary wing commander. Polar Force 11-10 was a phase II, three-day, combat deployment scenario.

"In a phase two, we develop a notional base X here, which simulates some base that we would deploy to in the theater," Smith said. "We stand up an air expeditionary wing and air expeditionary groups."

Base X had four groups; operations, maintenance, mission support, and medical.
With this plan in place, the 3rd and 673d combined into one air expeditionary wing, designed to project world-class combat power and provide support to the war fighter.
Many of both wings' assets were involved during the three-day exercise.

"There's a scenario that we're fighting a war where there's different methods of attack - our F-22s, our AWACS, our C-17s, our C-130s - we're executing Air Tasking Order sorties as we would in any theater."

If people were listening to the giant voice announcements last week, they heard updates to the exercise as Airmen went through simulated chemical attacks.

Airmen completed the training exercise, so when deployed, they will have the necessary skills to operate in a combat environment under the threat of chemical warfare.

"The challenge for an Airman in a phase II is to understand how to survive and operate in a combat environment," said Chief Master Sgt. Steven Bohannon, 3rd Wing command chief.

Airmen used the Airman's Manual - an easy to use reference guide for core tasks, like procedures for responding to a chemical attack - to complete post-attack reconnaissance around Base X, check for damage, unexploded ordnance, and report any findings to the wing commander.

It can be difficult to complete mission requirements, while wearing protective equipment.
"Full MOPP (Mission Oriented Protective Posture) gear definitely affects your dexterity and your endurance," Bohannon said.

"Through repetition and practice, Airmen become better suited to handle both - to protect themselves against a chemical environment and still accomplish the mission, which for us is to generate aircraft, and project world-class combat power."