MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Several Station units, headed by representatives at the Emergency Operations Center, participated in a drill designed to test and train for emergency preparedness on Station, April 26.
The highlight of the exercise was a simulated security breach at the former End Zone sports bar on Northside, which allowed first responders from the Provost Marshal's Office, Explosive Ordnance Disposal and the Station Fire Department to act out their roles in a realistic training environment.
"It's a direct descendent of Venom and Persistent Thunder," said Lt. Col. Phillip King, Station operations officer. "In the operations center, it's one thing entirely to say we'll coordinate doing this, and it's another thing entirely to have the people out on the ground doing it."
The Special Reaction Team from PMO responded first, clearing the infiltrator building and discovering simulated biological contamination in the area, bringing the fire department in to sterilize the threat.
"This is not the first exercise we've done, but this is the first time we've used these training objectives in a while," said King. "We tested the ability of our SRT to go in with actual role-players and a real building, and our Fire Department got the chance to spray their chemicals as if it were a real incident."
This kind of realistic training enabled the SRT Marines to engage in realistic training that will sharpen their skills.
"You never know what situation you might land in," said Master Sgt. Richard Holman, PMO antiterrorism and force protection officer. "These junior Marines love a challenge. They get an adrenaline rush from putting on gear, bashing in doors, and using paintball rounds through their actual weapons. They definitely will build off this."
Keeping skills sharp is essential to the Station's ability to respond to emergencies.
"We do exercises like this to sharpen our skills," said King. "How well we respond to incidents is directly related to how realistically we train."
After the dust cleared, it was apparent that the service members and civilians involved were ready to respond to future events.
"There's no doubt in my mind this was successful," said King. "The Special Reaction Team contained the threat and minimized the damage. Our fire department is truly exceptional in every way."