Base exercise enters second day
By Brandon Davis
Published in News on January 31, 2017 8:56 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Members of security forces participate in a readiness exercise for chemical attack near the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance facility at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Monday afternoon.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
A purple smoke grenade simulates a chemical explosion around a vehicle that was used in the readiness exercise Monday afternoon.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Members of security forces surround the airman playing an attacker during a readiness exercise for chemical attack near the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance facility at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Monday afternoon.
Thirteen airmen with 4th Fighter Wing simulated a chemical attack under the supervision of the Commander's Inspection Program during a mock-deployment Monday afternoon at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
The two-day Operational Readiness Exercise began with Staff Sgt. Darrell Bowers -- one of three evaluators -- who drove his SUV to the gate of the shoot house, a gun range located on base.
Dressed in Middle Eastern clothing, Bowers was stopped by airmen who asked him questions and then directed him through the gate for a detailed screening of the vehicle.
Upon inspection, armed officers took Bowers outside the gate to detain him while airmen opened every door of the vehicle and searched for a possible bomb.
Tech Sgt. Dustin Blanchard with the 4th Fighter Wing served as an evaluator for the simulation. He said the purpose of the exercise was to test entry control procedures during a deployment situation.
Blanchard said airmen removed Bowers from the area to simulate inspectors searching the vehicle without the detainee's knowledge of the search methods. Airmen then backed away from the vehicle as Blanchard threw a gas canister near the vehicle, releasing purple smoke, as if a bomb had detonated.
The canister made no sound, but an airmen fired three shots in the air.
"We try to add some realism to it," Blanchard said. "It's a little bit harder in an exercise, but we try to do what we can."
Blanchard said the exercise exposes airmen to muscle memory and reaction time in an actual chemical attack. He said exercises allow airmen to not be surprised when a bomb detonates and if they lose their hearing for a moment.
"It gives the members a chance to experience real-life base scenarios so they'll know how to react if anything does happen," he said.
Bowers, handcuffed, knelt outside the gate as three armed officers guarded him. Blanchard said airmen will guard a suspect until they hand them over to the Office of Special Investigations.
Blanchard said Bowers gladly volunteered for his role.
"He was very much looking forward to it," Blanchard said.