Airmen MOPP up for practice

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Where can Airmen experience teamwork, refresh their memory, learn something new and spend three hours in various levels of mission oriented protective posture gear? One event where the success of training required participants to use these skills was the Ability To Survive and Operate Task Evaluation. 

This three hour event demanded a lot mentally and physically from the participants. ATSO T/E training is a feature of the upcoming operational readiness exercise Arctic Gold 09-07. 

The ATSO T/E is a tool used by the 354th Fighter Wing command center to gauge the wartime and combat readiness of personnel assigned to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. This training is beneficial to Airmen whether they are designated to deploy or tasked to remain at Eielson AFB and provide home station support. 

Master Sgt. Brenton Terry, the superintendant of force management from the 354th Force Support Squadron, said, "One of the benefits of coming to this evaluation is the teamwork you experience as you work with people in different career fields and bond to complete the task." 

At this ATSO T/E there were 184 personnel identified to process through the stations. 

Tech. Sgt. Robert McConkey, the superintendent of complaints and resolutions from the 354 FW Inspector General described the nine different stations in the ATSO T/E. 

The nine stations include evaluations on donning a gas mask, drinking from a canteen while wearing a gas mask, transitioning through control points, load and clear a weapon, conducting post attack reconnaissance sweeps, identifying and notifying of positive chemical indications and various types of unexploded ordinance, decontaminate equipment, covering and uncovering assets for pre-attack preparation, self aid buddy care for both conventional injuries, rendering first aid to a victim of a chemical attack and finally an ungraded portion that requires participants to process through the contamination control area to take them from a MOPP 4 chemical environment to a MOPP 0 clean and sterile environment. 

Sergeant Terry described the changes he witnessed as a participant in the ATSO training. He said that previously there was no simulated decontamination station and the past ATSO events were not graded in the same manner. 

The Eudora, Ark. native, explained that after repeating the exercise three times in a row he felt very confident with the procedures and had no concerns going into the ATSO T/E. 

"The ATSO T/E is just one environment available for the wing to practice and hone its skills," said Sergeant McConkey. "It is vital for all personnel to be taking the time to practice these skills on their own or within the unit as well. The heat of the battle is not the time or the place to try and figure out which end of the gun is the dangerous end. It is through preparation and training that all personnel will learn the skill sets required to operate, fight and survive the deployment." 

Changes have recently been made to the equipment issued to Airmen. This makes the task of education especially important in order to get all members caught up with the new techniques. 

"Obviously new technology is meant to make the war fighting effort safer and more efficient for those tasked to deploy to the fight. With these new technologies comes the challenge of training and equipping personnel in time to safely and expeditiously prepare the wing and be ready for the fight at a moment's notice. The only real way to correct old techniques is through practice, practice, practice with the new equipment and techniques," said Sergeant McConkey, a native of Richland Center, Wis. 

All nine stations are important in ensuring personnel and equipment safety. It is important for everyone to participate and take stock in the events.