Kaiserslautern American, Dec. 20, 2019

Page 1

NEWS

FEATURE

LIFESTYLES

FEATURE

Post Office handles holiday influx with volunteers, Page 5

Language course enhances BPC mission, Page 6

Germans observe New Year’s traditions, Page 10

KMC civilians honored in Lengthof-Service Ceremony, Page 15

December 20, 2019 | Volume 43, Number 50

Read the KA online at KaiserslauternAmerican.com

Operation Varsity 19-04 concludes by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

U.S. Air Force firefighters assigned to the 86th Civil Engineer Squadron simulate a decontamination line during exercise Operation Varsity 19-04, at Ramstein Air Base, Dec. 12. Operation Varsity is a reoccurring exercise designed to improve readiness when dealing with potential enemy threats and attacks. Photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer

As the New Year approaches, another exercise closes. The 86th Airlift Wing Inspector General and Wing Inspection Team members concluded Operation Varsity 19-04, Dec. 13. This iteration included various simulated air and ground attacks throughout the wing’s area of responsibility and reached geographically separated units at Lajes Field, Portugal, and Morón Air Base, Spain. The wing employed Operation Varsity each quarter throughout 2019 to enhance readiness and proficiency

when responding to potential adversarial threats and attacks. Airmen from various Air Force specialties supporting the wing’s mission participated in the exercise which generated a myriad of scenarios. “When we first began last spring with OV 19-01, we focused mostly on emergency management responses which relied on Emergency Medical Services, such as active shooter, fire, and Mass Accident Response Exercise situations,” said Lt. Col. Angela Stanton, 86th AW IG. “There were [Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives] skills involved, See OPERATION VARSITY, Pages 2 & 8

786 CES deploys during OV 19-04 by 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Less than 48 hours into Operation Varsity 19-04, two 786th Airlift Wing civil engineer teams deployed to geographically separated units in Spain and Portugal. Using airlift from the 37th Airlift Squadron, a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft departed Ramstein Air Base and transported diverse teams and capabilities to each GSU in a matter of hours. The teams included 16 Airmen expertly trained in their own individual specialties: Electrical, water and fuels systems, heating venti-

lation and air conditioning, and structural support. The first eight-man team offloaded at Morón Air Base, Spain. Morón, home to the 496th Air Base Squadron, provides expeditionary combat support, transient support and staging of aircraft for U.S. and NATO missions. The deployed team worked a variety of real world quality-of-life projects. They tested and installed electrical and plumbing lines, troubleshot equipment, and refurbished damaged wooden table tops. “In just two days, the 786 See OV 1904, Page 2

U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 786th Civil Engineer Squadron paint over runway markings at Lajes Field, Portugal, Dec 12. The changes get the landing zone one step closer to being certified and operational. Photo by Ricky Baptista


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
Kaiserslautern American, Dec. 20, 2019 by AdvantiPro GmbH - Issuu