A letter to Team Andersen and their Families Published Sept. 29, 2011 By Brig. Gen. John Doucette 36 Wing commander ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Next week we will step it up a notch when it comes to exercising our warfighting capabilities. You will see and hear more involvement base-wide in reaction to exercise scenario injects than you have in the past. We won't go crazy with our scenario, but we will stress our ability to fight-in-place, survive mission denial tactics by the "bad guy" and continue to operate. Our "exercise play area", historically confined to the flight line and industrial areas, will expand into the main base proper. We will do this in an attempt to educate everyone on proper response actions to adverse scenarios as well as find out where we need to concentrate our resources to improve our warfighting and ATSO (Ability To Survive and Operate) capabilities. What can you expect? Some areas of the base may be closed off for a few hours at a time as we deal with various tactical problems. Think like the "bad guy": what would you do to stop the launching of the incredible airpower from the U.S.'s most forward deployed strategic assets? What would you do to stop our well-trained and professional Airmen from deploying from this sovereign soil to a flare-up somewhere in this part of the world. Well, whatever you can conjure up in your mind, we need to be able to deal with because the "good guys" are counting on us to succeed. However, some areas like the on-base retail facilities, the BX, Commissary, DoDEA schools, Burger King and Subway, Fitness Center, and base housing, will not be affected by the exercise. So, thank you in advance for not only being patient with our exercise, but also in taking the time to learn how you can also help us succeed. For instance, if you hear over the Giant Voice (those big speakers that play the National Anthem every day) that there is a "Bugle Call" near the Top of the Rock (our all-ranks club) or the Shoppette, please take cover if you are in the vicinity or don't travel in that direction until the "All Clear" is issued. Let the experts handle the "bad guys", obey the directions of our Security Forces Defenders and give them the room they need to succeed. We will provide information on proper responses in a separate notice and will publish this same info on the 36th Wing Command Channel as well. There will also be an exercise Facebook site where you can get all of the exercise updates about situations around the installation that may affect you. So here's the deal -- allowing our Airmen to be as prepared as possible to face the contingencies we may have to deal with around the world requires your patience, and support, as we exercise. That patience you display is a small price to pay to ensure that our Airmen - your Airmen - can meet those contingencies with confidence in their training, confidence in their gear and confidence in their fellow Airmen. As always, it is an absolute privilege and honor to serve as your wing commander.