Joint Base Charleston
Vol. 2, No. 11
Patriot Team Charleston – One Family, One Mission, One Fight!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Team Charleston bids farewell to 437 AW commander Courtesy of Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs Col. John Wood will be turning over command of the 437th Airlift Wing to Colonel Erik Hansen, March 29. "I arrived in May 2009 to a great wing with great history. I've seen our Airmen and Civilians in action for the last two years, and I know why the 437th Airlift Wing has such a wonderful history: the people at Team Charleston are the best the Air Force has to offer! Thank you for your efforts volunteering to serve our Nation, it has been an honor to serve with you..." Col. John Wood, USAF 437th Airlift Wing commander Join Team Charleston in bidding farewell to Colonel Wood at the following events scheduled for March 28: Golf Tournament - Wrenwoods Golf Course The cost is $28 per person for 18 holes and cart rental. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 10:30 a.m. RSVP to Wrenwoods Golf Course at 963-1834 or e-mail aaron.sales@ us.af.mil. Farewell at the Charleston Club The cost is $13 per person and guests are asked to come dressed in their favorite baseball jersey or shirt. The social and buffet begin at 4 p.m. and presentations begin at 4:45 p.m. RSVP to 963-3201 or e-mail mary.naiman@us.af.mil. See more photos on Page 2
U.S. Air Force photo/Rose Alexander
Team Charleston, led by Col. John Wood, brought home awards for best C-17 air refueling crew, best C-17 short field landing crew and best maintenance pre-flight team when they returned to Charleston Air Force Base July 25, 2009 after participating in Rodeo 2009 at McChord Air Force Base, Wash.
JB CHS tests emergency response for upcoming expo By Airman 1st Class Jared Trimarchi Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
INSIDE
Team Charleston participated in a mandatory major accident response exercise March 22, at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base, in preparation for the upcoming Air Expo April 9. The MARE tested the response and capabilities of base emergency personnel during a simulated aircraft mishap when two airplanes clipped wings and collided. "The exercise was a joint effort between JB CHS and local community first responders," said David Hunt, 628th Air Base Wing deputy inspector general and exercise team chief. "Our goal was to practice for the air show to ensure we are prepared to handle any incidents." The morning began with a table top discussion where all of the first responders and commanders from their units talked through different scenarios. "During the table top we discussed even the smallest details, ranging from somebody's vehicle being disabled or a lost child, to responding to a major aircraft incident," Mr. Hunt said. "When you get a 100,000 people together, those things might happen and we need to be prepared." The afternoon brought a hands-on approach as the scenario kicked in. In the exercise, an aircraft crashed on the flight line causing numerous injuries. Inflatable dummies and 36 live role players with various injuries assumed positions on the flightline. Emergency personnel and first
COL. JOHN WOOD A look back Page 2
response units were quickly on scene. "We use the role players because it challenges all of our first responders as well as our commanders to deal with different situations," Mr. Hunt said. "The role players allowed us to make the exercise more realistic and as a consequence a much better test of our response procedures." Lt. Col. Pamela Smith, 628th Aerospace Medical Squadron commander, said the exercise provided training that goes beyond the upcoming air show. "This gets us out from our normal day-to-day routine in the clinic," she said. "When we participate in these drills it hones our disaster preparedness skills. We also do these drills on a monthly basis because this is what we might be doing at deployed locations. We are trained to handle any type of disaster, such as a plane crash or even a pile-up of cars right outside our gate." According to Mr. Hunt, the exercise was a success and showcased the base's ability to handle any given situation. "Our first responders and their civilian counterparts worked well together," he said. "Our command and control functions activated to provide oversight to the incident and we were able to test our communications and response procedures and discovered areas where we can improve. Most importantly we were able to test and adjust our plans for handling incidents that could occur during the upcoming Air Expo." "We hope that the Charleston community has a great day at the Air Expo and we want them to know we are pre-
NEW IG
THE GALLEY
Meet Lt. Col. Alexandria Watson Page 4
Keeping Sailors fed Page 10
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brianna Veesart
Capt. Holly Kingston assists a simulated victim onto a litter during a major accident response exercise at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., March 22. The MARE is a necessary step to prepare all Joint Base Charleston members for the upcoming 2011 Air Expo. The exercise is used to help test and train the supporting agencies who would respond in case of an emergency. Capt. Kingston is assigned to 628th Medical Group.
pared to handle anything that can happen," he said. "We can't wait to have them out here and enjoying a great day with us." (See more photos on Page 5)
NOFFS A new level of fitness Page 14
Operational Readiness Inspection Countdown:
36 Weeks
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