CRISIS LOOK - Operational Readiness Exercise: 349th AMW 'lights up the night'

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amelia Leonard
  • 349th Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  More than 200 members from the 349th Air Mobility Wing worked together during a base-wide exercise, CRISIS LOOK, Nov. 3-5. Members simulated a real-world deployment during the three day operational readiness exercise. The exercise began with Airmen going through a pre-deployment line and simulating a take-off to a foreign country.

During the exercise, Team Travis members practiced proper procedures in response to real-life acts of terror such as bomb explosions. The members practiced going through all of the force protection conditions and implementing the various levels of mission oriented protective postures.

This experience was a first for many members of the 349th Air Mobility Wing.

"It was a learning experience-- that's for sure," said Tech. Sgt. Norma Rodriguez, 349th AMW. "I got to experience what it was like here at Travis before having to actually fly-out," she said.

Sergeant Rodriguez, who had never experienced a base-wide exercise before, said she thinks everyone should have to experience it more than once in their career.

"Having to stay up for 16 hours was the hardest part," she said. "Many people had difficulty wearing their chemical gear for a long period of time," she said. At one point they were in their full mission oriented protective posture gear for almost four hours, she said.

One of the exercise evaluators, Senior Master Sgt. Ellen Hatfield, 349th AMW, graded the Airman on their adherence to a checklist written by the inspector general.

"We were watching for the support and care for each other," she said. "It was a good chance to test and practice partnering people together and having them look out for one another," she said.

In order to be better prepared for the next base exercise, Sergeant Hatfield and Sergeant Rodriguez both agree that Airmen should become familiar with their Airman's Manual and practice working with their chemical gear.

For more photos see the December 2010 issue of the CONTACT.