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 | March 26, 2025

Total Force Airmen Strengthen CBRN Readiness in Pacific

By Master Sgt. Nicholas Perez, 151st Wing

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan – Airmen from the Air National Guard 151st Wing, 144th Fighter Wing and 113th Wing; the Air Force Reserve 301st Fighter Wing, 910th Airlift Wing and 433rd Airlift Wing; and Active-Duty 35th Fighter Wing components have come together for Exercise Beverly Sunrise, a full-scale chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense training event. 

Over two weeks in March, these Total Force Airmen work side by side to bolster joint capabilities, refine warfighting readiness and enhance CBRN response in a contested Indo-Pacific environment.

As global threats evolve, detecting, assessing and neutralizing CBRN hazards is essential to sustaining combat airpower. Beverly Sunrise reinforces Total Force interoperability by integrating Air National Guard and Reserve emergency management teams into Active-Duty operations.

“Exercise Beverly Sunrise reinforces Total Force integration, uniting Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and Active-Duty personnel to execute and enhance CBRN readiness in the Pacific,” said Senior Master Sgt. James Mulhall, installation emergency manager, 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base. “This collaboration between Guard, Reserve and Active-Duty forces maximizes operational effectiveness, ensuring a synchronized and rapid response to any CBRN threat in the battlespace.”

This exercise places Airmen in realistic, high-intensity scenarios that replicate the operational environments they may encounter in war. Airmen must rapidly respond to simulated CBRN attacks, conduct reconnaissance in contaminated areas and execute decontamination procedures under battlefield conditions. 

This exercise is a direct demonstration of combat deterrence, reinforcing the Air Force’s ability to continue operations despite enemy use of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attacks.

The reconnaissance teams, comprised of Total Force Airmen, were critical in detecting and assessing threats. Airmen in full protective gear navigate contaminated environments, collect samples and relay intelligence to the Wing Operations Center. This process enables commanders to make informed decisions, execute force protection measures, and launch aircraft without hesitation.

“Our reconnaissance teams are the eyes on the ground, collecting critical data from potentially contaminated areas to give commanders an accurate picture of the threat,” said Master Sgt. Ken Church, emergency manager, 151st Wing, Utah Air National Guard. “Without their assessments, we are operating in the dark. Their work allows leadership to make informed decisions on force protection, sustain combat operations, and neutralize hazards before they escalate into mission-critical threats.”

A defining element of Beverly Sunrise is the combination of Air National Guard and Reserve forces into Active-Duty CBRN operations. The Guard and Reserve bring highly skilled emergency managers, many with civilian-sector expertise in hazardous materials response, firefighting and emergency operations. Their ability to seamlessly integrate with Active-Duty counterparts strengthens the Air Force’s CBRN response capability.

Misawa Air Base is a critical power projection hub, enabling the Air Force to launch and sustain combat operations across the Pacific theater. Training in CBRN-contested scenarios at this location ensures that Airmen are fully prepared to operate in the environments adversaries hope to exploit.

“Our adversaries closely monitor our training and operations, mine our data, and are looking for gaps they can exploit,” said Mulhall. “Exercises like Beverly Sunrise sends a clear message: We are not only watching but also ready.”


 

 

 

Related Articles
Utah Air National Guard Security Forces members secure the flightline during a nuclear operational readiness exercise Nov. 2, 2024, at Hill Air Force Base.
Utah Air Guard Showcases Nuclear Operations Readiness
By Master Sgt. Nicholas Perez, | Nov. 13, 2024
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The Utah Air National Guard completed an intensive Nuclear Operations Readiness Exercise Nov. 1-3. The exercise engaged the 151st Wing in around-the-clock operations, preparing members to execute their...

Aircraft armament systems technicians from the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Maintenance Group download 30 mm rounds during a weapons system evaluation program exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, June 11, 2024. The A-10 is equipped with the GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun and can fire 3,900 rounds a minute.
Utah Air National Guard Conducts Weapons Training Exercise
By Senior Master Sgt. Joshua Allmaras, | July 11, 2024
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah - Airmen from the 124th Fighter Wing, Gowen Field, participated in a weapons system evaluation program exercise at Hill Air Force Base.The June 6-14 program was designed to test the employment of...

A KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 151st Air Refueling Wing takes off during exercise Northern Edge 23-2 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 12, 2023. The Intelligent Gateway connectivity combined with Battlespace Command and Control Center Air Battle Management hardware/software provides command and control capabilities to the ABMs conducting a distributed tactical C2 experiment during NE 23-2.
Connected Battlespace Modernizes Fight in Indo-Pacific
By Senior Airman Sebastian Romawac, | July 25, 2023
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan - The Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Air Refueling Wing, working with the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Test Center, sent its modified KC-135 Stratotanker to Kadena Air Base for use in the...