Photo By Senior Airman Sarah McKernan | Members of the 106th Rescue Wing participated in a Mass Accident Response Exercise at...... read more read more
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Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Westhampton Beach, N.Y. – Members of the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing, participated in a Mass Accident Response Exercise (MARE) at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Nov. 6-7, 2024.
The exercise, led by the 106th Inspector General team, simulated a hard landing of an HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft with a reported onboard radiation hazard.
For training purposes, both an HC-130J and an HH-60W Jolly Green II search and rescue helicopter represented the downed aircraft scenario.
The exercise evaluated the readiness of various units, including security forces, operations, maintenance, medical, emergency management and the fire department.
Mr. Charles Mercurio, the 106th Inspector General Director of Inspections, said that the purpose of the exercise was to maintain readiness and rapid response.
“We need to make sure we are ready to perform our mission on a day-to-day basis,” said Mercurio. “I feel this exercise was well-executed. There are always going to be growing pains and some areas of opportunity to improve, but we are going to be exercising these things a lot more often to make sure we can do the tasks that we need to do.”
The exercise began on the morning of Nov. 6 with a simulated emergency call reporting an in-flight issue involving an HC-130J with five personnel experiencing symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, and disorientation, indicative of potential exposure to hazardous materials, according to Tech. Sgt. Matthew Palmer, a fireman at the 106th and incident commander for the exercise.
Palmer said he and six other firefighters responded to the incident, extinguishing a simulated fire upon arrival and rescuing all onboard passengers, who were then transferred to the medical team for first aid.
Security forces personnel established a cordon to prevent unauthorized access to the area.
Palmer explained that emergency management personnel entered the aircraft and detected radiation particles. Firefighters and emergency management specialists then collaborated to decontaminate the plane's interior and exterior.
“The exercise was beneficial for us to understand that we are capable of handling a situation like this,” said Palmer. “I’m very proud of our response time and the members that I lead. Emergency management are the technical experts, so working hand-in-hand with them was very beneficial. Overall, I’m very happy with the outcome.”
Senior Airman Catherine Uttaro, a 106th Emergency Management specialist, said she valued the simulation.
“It was a good opportunity to put some of our training into action and to practice and help us identify some of our strengths and some of the things we can improve on,” said Uttaro.
On Nov. 7, the 106th maintenance personnel conducted a Crash, Damaged and Disabled Aircraft Recovery (CDDAR) exercise on an HH-60W, representing the downed aircraft.
“The objective was to do a CDDAR exercise on an aircraft that had a hard landing and a left-side gear collapse,” said Master Sgt. Lawrence Eisworth, a 106th isochronal maintainer and contingency response team chief for the exercise.
The maintainers set up a system to support the load on the undamaged side of the helicopter, allowing them to level the aircraft and position sling straps underneath, according to Eisworth. This process enabled them to safely maneuver the aircraft into position for lifting onto a trailer for transport to a repair facility.
“We had to determine how the aircraft was structurally, reduce the fuel load, and remove any cargo,” said Eisworth. “Those factors are key because we need to reduce the weight of the aircraft in order for it to be lifted.”
“I am extremely proud of my team and their excellent response time,” said Eisworth. “They were very successful and paid close attention to safety. I couldn’t ask for anything more than what happened today.”
The 106th Rescue Wing, based at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, New York, operates and maintains the HC-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft, and the HH-60W Jolly Green II search and rescue helicopter. The 106th Rescue Wing is home to a special warfare squadron with pararescuemen and combat rescue officers, specializing in rescue and recovery, and deploys for domestic and overseas operations.
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.14.2024 15:03 |
| Story ID: | 485093 |
| Location: | WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 35 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 106th Rescue Wing Conducts Mass Accident Response Exercise, by SrA Sarah McKernan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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