Photo By Tech. Sgt. Austin Knox | Members across Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., participate in a deep-dive...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Members across Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, recently participated in a deep-dive hurricane preparedness exercise from April 29-May 10.
Hurricane exercises, also known as a HUREX, aim at reinforcing and enhancing security and preparedness. Throughout the two-week exercise, units contributed various emergency scenarios, including power outages, roof collapses, road closures and others, to create a realistic situation with high-risk problems requiring effective solutions. This allowed in-depth planning for potential future disasters.
“I believe it is important for our community members to know the amount of military training that takes place when assessing mitigation and response plans against disasters like a hurricane,” said Maj. James Aultman, Operations Officer at the 87th Civil Engineer Squadron. “We always look to be good neighbors and share helpful ways to prepare. And when we are prepared, we can focus our efforts on continuing to carry out the mission.”
Should a hurricane threaten the area in the future, JB MDL would proactively disseminate vital information to aid in awareness and readiness. Essential details like building a grab-and-go bag, hurricane status and safety measures are all aspects the base would share with both our community neighbors and on-base personnel.
“One of our primary goals is to train and equip for both natural and human-made emergencies,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Anthony Smith, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst commander and 87th Air Base Wing commander. “Positioned near the East Coast, we annually face the threat of hurricanes and must prepare in order to continue carrying out the mission. We carefully plan to safeguard the well-being of our service members, government civilians and their families, with a high priority on securing their futures.”
Within the Emergency Operations Center and Commander’s Action Team meetings, participants engaged in simulated exercises, discussions and checklist evaluations to identify avenues for enhancing resilience. Insights into factors such as flooding and wind damage helped inform participants on ways to improve. Also assessing aspects like sandbags, food and water availability, and potential structural vulnerabilities was crucial in properly gauging each unit’s ability to bounce back from future hurricane disasters.
Every year, coastal areas face the looming threat of hurricanes, both large and small. Through the JB MDL HUREX, the team was able to better prepare their readiness against this threat, helping to ensure the joint base can continue in its march toward mission effectiveness.
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.17.2024 13:33 |
| Story ID: | 471537 |
| Location: | MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, HUREX Enhances preparedness for swift recovery, by 1st Lt. Shaniah Pritchett, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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