VOLK FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Wis. — Airmen of the 155th Security Forces Squadron and other National Guard units and partners worked through a mock natural disaster exercise at Patriot 21 in Wisconsin June 10-19.
The exercise, sponsored by the National Guard Bureau A3 and accredited by the Joint National Training Capability Program, is designed for civilian emergency management and responders to work with military entities during disasters.
"The exercise was based around a scenario where an earthquake had displaced a lot of resources and people in Wisconsin," said 2nd Lt. Dan Dibbern, 155th Security Forces Squadron operations officer. "We ran missions from three different communities. How one mission looked was, we got an inject from exercise control that people were massing at a town square demanding water, so as a security forces team we could go set up a distribution center."
Dibbern said the training for Airmen of the Nebraska Air National Guard was important.
"The integration piece is something that doesn't happen by itself, so this was a chance for us to practice that huge muscle movement of getting up here and responding," Dibbern said. "When it's real-world, this isn't going to be completely new or the first time we have to do it."
Tech. Sgt. Tyler Macnab, with the 155th Security Forces Squadron, agreed.
"The importance of doing this was coming together from all the different states and agencies to learn how to support our local and state agencies because they are the ones who will call us during a natural disaster," Macnab said. "Being able to have the same training from around the country is like coming together as one unit."
All 16 members of the 155th Air Refueling Wing, whose mission statement is "Deliver fuel, cargo, people and support anywhere," volunteered to support this exercise and gained valuable training.
"Being part of Patriot 21 is a huge asset to the 155th because there are so many units there getting the same training, so that way they can call on us or we can call on them," Macnab said. "Having the Nebraska State Patrol there and being able to work with them was a huge team boost because we got to see some of the troopers we would be working with if we were called to assist them."
Dibbern said completing the exercise "provides our unit a credential, so to speak. It definitely shows our capabilities by having the Airmen, the equipment and the willingness to do it."
This training was good for members of the 155th ARW, who learned new skills, and for Nebraska, said Dibbern.
"This is a worthwhile investment for the state of Nebraska because, for the most part, we are a responder state," Dibbern said. "Not only is our state resilient, but so are our people, so we are usually called upon by other states. I appreciate the opportunity to come up here and receive this training."