An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | June 7, 2019

Civil engineer Airmen learn disaster skills at Global Dragon

By Staff Sgt. Emmanuel Gutierrez 188th Wing, Arkansas Air National Guard

PERRY, Ga. – Civil engineer operations students from the 147th Attack Wing learned route-clearing skills during Exercise Global Dragon 2019, held at the Guardian Centers of Georgia, May 29.

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, clearing transportation routes in a reasonable amount of time can save lives and prevent further destruction.

“These skillsets could be used, for instance, during Hurricane Harvey, when emergency services could not get into communities,” said Senior Master Sgt. Nathan Sullivan, a Global Dragon instructor from the 147th Attack Wing, a component of the Texas Air National Guard. “Storms blow down powerlines, trees and cars. We can come in and clear the route for responders to get through.”

Students put their skills to the test at a scenario called Tornado Alley, a road made to simulate the after-effects of a tornado as close to real life as possible. Students are challenged with overturned cars, buses, downed power lines, steel beams, and trees thrown across in an unstable manner. Every piece of debris needs to be pushed and cut meticulously to ensure responders stay safe.

Sullivan said that training and expert instruction his Airmen receive here at Global Dragon is unlike anything else.

“There is no way we could set up a scenario that this exercise could do; they have been amazing,” he said. “We get to come here and have the experts with us.”

Global Dragon is a biannual, Air National Guard led exercise providing training for career fields across the mission support enterprise in as close to real-world conditions as possible.

 

 

Related Articles
Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, visits the 49th Missile Defense Battalion, Alaska National Guard, on Fort Greely, Alaska, April 28, 2025. Soldiers of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion operate and secure the ground-based midcourse defense system and are an integral piece of the homeland defense mission to protect the U.S. from intercontinental ballistic missiles using ground-based interceptors.
In Alaska, Nordhaus Sees National Guardsmen Defending the Homeland, Enabling Global Power Projection
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely | May 1, 2025
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – From within Alaska’s vast Interior, Alaska National Guardsmen defend the homeland from long-range missile attacks and enable global power projection.Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, the chief of...

Sgt. Jessica Shields, a water purification specialist with the 935th Aviation Support Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard, checks the chlorine levels of the water meant for cooking and cleaning laundry during TRADEWINDS 25 exercise at Teteron Bay, Trinidad and Tobago, April 27, 2025.
Missouri National Guard Water Purification Team Supports TRADEWINDS 25
By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Crane, | May 1, 2025
TETERON BAY, Trinidad – Few resources are more critical than clean water for sustaining troops in the field. From cooking meals to maintaining hygiene, a steady supply of safe water is essential to keeping Soldiers healthy,...

Group photo of Delta Company, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion Soldiers standing in front of the Seattle / King County Clinic.
Washington Guard Soldiers Support Clinic Through Language and Compassion
By Joseph Siemandel, | May 1, 2025
SEATTLE – A group of Soldiers from the Delta Company, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion, recently volunteered at a Seattle and King County medical clinic to provide language support for visitors receiving free medical,...