Patriot Warrior

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Codie Braegger, 419th Civil Engineer Squadron, and Staff Sgt. Eva Escape, 446th Civil Engineer Squadron, investigate a simulated gas contamination during the Patriot Warrior exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah on June 11, 2022. During the exercise, Total Force CES emergency management Airmen from 13 units across the Air Force spent four days in a classroom covering 38 training tasks before moving onto a two-day field exercise that tested their skills in a wartime environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Erica Webster)

Patriot Warrior

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Codie Braegger, 419th Civil Engineer Squadron, and Staff Sgt. Eva Escape, 446th Civil Engineer Squadron, approach a simulated gas contamination site during the Patriot Warrior exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, June 11, 2022. During the exercise, Total Force CES emergency management Airmen from 13 units across the Air Force spent four days in a classroom covering 38 training tasks before moving onto a two-day field exercise that tested their skills in a wartime environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Erica Webster)

Patriot Warrior

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Codie Braegger, 419th Civil Engineer Squadron, and Staff Sgt. Eva Escape, 446th Civil Engineer Squadron, await instructions during a simulated gas contamination event at the Patriot Warrior exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, June 11 2022. During the exercise, Total Force CES emergency management Airmen from 13 units across the Air Force spent four days in a classroom covering 38 training tasks before moving onto a two-day field exercise that tested their skills in a wartime environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Erica Webster)

419th CES hosts first-ever Total Force Operation Patriot Warrior exercise

Published June 16, 2022
By Senior Airman Erica Webster
419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – Reserve and active-duty Civil Engineer Squadron Airmen from 13 units across the country tested their skills during an Operation Patriot Warrior Exercise hosted by the 419th Fighter Wing here June 6-12.

This year marked the first time active-duty and Reserve CES Airmen came together for a Total Force exercise to focus on the Emergency Management branch of the career field. During the exercise, the CES Airmen worked together participating in real-life scenarios designed to evaluate their skillset.

“It’s a more intensive and job-specific course than in the past,” said Master Sgt. Jared Jacques, emergency management superintendent with the 419th Civil Engineer Squadron. “They attended four days of classroom training that covered 38 career field tasks including their wartime training tasks.”

Air Force emergency management specialists handle recovery and response operations after natural disasters and man-made crises and are trained in the remediation of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergencies. Their goal is to reduce casualties and help those affected by a disaster to reach safety. They develop plans and procedures to train and protect Air Force personnel to meet emergency management mission needs. These Airmen can be sent to handle emergencies anywhere in the world, as needed.

After the four days, the Airmen were able to validate their training with a two-day field exercise by responding to simulated toxic gas contamination.

“We needed to find out how much of it is there and how long it’s going to be there,” Jacques said. “It’s our job to protect everyone and clear the area so the base can return to normal operations.”