U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Elizabeth Ross, 102nd Intelligence Wing Emergency Manager, briefs wing members in the Emergency Operations Center during a natural disaster exercise on Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, Dec. 18, 2024. The exercise evaluated how wing members would respond to a simulated extreme winter storm that caused unsafe driving conditions and destruction to base facilities. (Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Julia Ahaesy)
Story and photos by Senior Airman Julia Ahaesy, 102nd Intelligence Wing
102nd Civil Engineer Squadron Emergency Managers conducted a natural disaster response exercise with 102nd Intelligence Wing members on Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, Dec. 18, 2024.
The exercise evaluated how wing members would respond to a simulated extreme winter storm that caused unsafe driving conditions and damaged base facilities. Members were expected to understand their roles within the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Unit Control Centers (UCC) and be able to effectively communicate to ensure the most effective response during any natural disaster type event.
“The purpose of this exercise was to identify shortfalls and limiting factors, so that they may be addressed and solved prior to the snow season,” said Joel Ferguson, 102nd IW Support Services Specialist.
Natural disaster exercises are essential to enhance readiness, guarantee continued operational capabilities and ensure all response elements, such as the EOC, Crisis Action Team (CAT), UCC and A-Staff, are on the same page so the mission can be sustained and domestic operations support can be provided to the Commonwealth.
Members exercised facility emergency action plans, emergency checklists, shelter operations, personnel accountability, deployment of assets such as plows, evacuation transport resources, and mobile response trailers and other domestic operations.
“We hope wing members learned how to better communicate with their UCCs and cross-talk with other Emergency Support Functions,” said Senior Master Sgt. Elizabeth Ross, 102nd IW Emergency Manager. “This exercise was set up under a simulated operations period to allow a full relief process and pass-down, which would be a realistic scenario as an actual real-world event.”
