Hazardous path to survival

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Derek VanHorn
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  This week, hundreds of Airmen are scrambling around base in all-out war mode. Identities and faces are hidden by gas masks and tens of pounds of chemical protection gear. Last names are hastily and illegibly written on tape plastered across their helmets, adding to the confusion of war.

The frenzy is never-ending, as relentless attacks strike the base. Sometimes up to 20 Airmen are huddled in over packed bunker zones, retreating from one of the most dreaded threats in war -- chemical attacks.

The fate of these Airmen often rests in the hands of the 35th Aerospace Medical Squadron Bioenvironmental Engineering flight. It's made up of only 11 Airmen with the highly-critical job of providing information to help decide who must stay in and who can move out of mission oriented protection posture gear during an Operational Readiness Exercise here Oct. 7-11.

After each attack, Post-Attack Reconnaissance teams sweep the base to assess the damage and potential threat of chemical contaminations. Stanchions strategically placed outside buildings contain M-8 and M-9 chemical detection papers that trigger a process for these engineers.

"If a chemical attack is suspected, the emergency operations center immediately calls us and we'll get our detection equipment and sample the area," said Senior Airman Amanda Johnson, 35 AMDS bioenvironmental engineer. "We then relay our assessments back to the EOC and they make a decision whether we need to sample further."

If the decision is made to conduct more sampling, Johnson said they'll work to quantify the amount of chemicals present in a given area. When that process is complete, the risk assessment is made and passed onto the wing commander to decide who can be taken out of or must remain in MOPP gear.

Johnson said the information provided that aids in the decision is not opinion-based.

"We provide statistics on how many people would experience moderate to lethal effects if taken out of MOPP gear," she said. "The commander then decides what risks he can take and will then implement orders to reclassify a hazardous area."

The base is broken up into different sections to better organize area reclassification statuses. Different MOPP levels determine the amount of MOPP gear required. It's a potentially life-saving process that's well worth the discomfort of extra gear.

"It may not be the most comfortable situation out there, but it's definitely the most important," said Airman 1st Class Blake Jacobs, 35th Maintenance Squadron, who performed multiple PAR sweeps. "Wearing the right protection gear and knowing the surroundings can be what keeps someone alive."

Johnson concluded by highlighting the importance of the bioenvironmental presence.

"Certain sweeps and protective actions must be made to keep the mission going," Johnson said. "This entire process is critical. Every little thing we do goes a long way to getting the base stabilized and carry out the mission."