Anti-Terrorism Exercise Heightens 143d Airlift Wing Awareness

  • Published
  • By LtCol Peter Horne
  • 143 Airlift Wing/Anti-Terrorism Office
09/06/08 --  On the September UTA the 143rd Airlift Wing underwent a different kind of installation level exercise. The unique thing about this is that this was the first time we had exercised our base barrier plan all the way up to Force Protection Condition (FPCON) DELTA since the tragic events of 9/11 back in 2001. 
    
What most people were not aware of was the fact that this exercise actually began back in June during the Air Show! Army Intelligence operatives in civilian clothes were invited here to attempt to exploit any weaknesses/vulnerabilities we might have at Quonset ANGB during what is known as a "RED TEAM" exercise. They played the role of a (fictitious) Al-Qaida cell in RI disguised as civilians here for the Air show. The intelligence they gained during the June UTA was used as a driving force behind the September exercise which eventually drove the base to higher FPCON levels.

The exercise was a success as we were able to identify the areas where we were prepared for a terrorist incident and other areas we need to train a little harder on. Additionally, we were able to exercise the Air Force Incident Management System (AFIMS). If this term is new to you then you should look into taking the Emergency Response Operations Course (ERO) located at M: Shared/EET/Training/ERO Course.

The most important thing to come out of this new type of exercise is the lesson that we must be ready to respond to the threats we face in the global war on terrorism, both here and while deployed, at a moments notice. The skills we exercised here are directly applicable to those you may need to employ while deployed. Remember, the next time you see someone walking through your area that doesn't belong there, be sure to question them or call base security. The next time they may not be actors!