Warrior Prep Day: practice for the real thing

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Caleb Pierce
  • 435 Air Base Wing/Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  Warrior Prep Day kicked off on Oct. 17, with over 550 people participating from the 86th Airlift Wing and the 435th Air Base Wing at Hangar 3 here on Ramstein Air Base.

The training was implemented in two sessions; one in the morning and another in the afternoon. The sessions consisted of five separate training stations lasting approximately 40 minutes each: force protection; self aid buddy care; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive defense actions; post-attack reconnaissance; and explosive ordnance reconnaissance.
 
The topics, which can all be found in the U.S. Air Force Airman's Manual, were taught by various subject matter experts from the 835th Civil Engineer Squadron, Readiness Emergency Management, with the combined use of verbal instruction and hands-on training. 

The strategy of implementing two large-group sessions was to train and educate a greater amount of people in a short time. 

"I think having two large groups of individuals was a good idea," said Senior Airman Lawrence Phelps, 835th CES, CEX, CBRNE instructor. "It allowed instructors to give a greater number of people this specialized training in one location, which is beneficial for everyone." 

Several qualified instructors assisted with the training exercises to ensure accurate scenarios for the players involved throughout the day. The lessons learned improved the player's emergency response skills. 

"This is the crawl stage of the training," said Tech. Sgt. David Gallagher, an emergency management technician with the 835th CES. "The training is designed to up the 'ability to survive and operate' performance of our players. It will also increase the knowledge of the players for upcoming inspections, as well as for the base mission, for prompt and manageable recovery from attacks." 

The training, which can be very intricate and difficult to remember, requires hands-on practice for reinforcement. 

"It's often the case that many people haven't had this training in several years," said Airman Phelps. "With our busy Air Force, and the updates and modifications these training topics undergo, it's critical that Airmen of all ranks get a periodic refresher."
 
"This training is a good refresher" said Lt. Col. Kevin Therrien, 86th Air Mobility Squadron commander, and Warrior Prep Day player. "It's a chance to review areas of necessary training under minimal stress for Ramstein Air Base to be prepared to operate in any environment." 

The Warrior Prep Day was by all accounts a success, having better equipped Air Force personnel for the way ahead by preparing them for potential emergency operations.