ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- “Practice how you play.” You may have heard a coach or parent tell you this once or twice while learning a sport or hobby and for the members of the U.S. Air Force it’s the same. Whether you are an athlete training for game day or a pilot training for a sortie, practice is key.
For the 36th Civil Engineer Squadron emergency management flight at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, preparation and prevention are some of their main priorities. To be able to accomplish Andersen’s mission, the emergency management flight develops and maintains readiness for all Airmen.
“I have many different duties, but my main focus is the training section classes,” said U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Maria Daneault, an emergency management apprentice assigned to the 36th Civil Engineer Squadron. “I help provide the foundation for educating the base on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives defense to prepare for that next step in war, essentially.”
Emergency Management isn’t just training for CBRNE attacks, it is also planning for natural disasters, coordinating prompt response during disaster relief operations, including mobilizing resources, and government organizations.
“It takes a very astute, motivated and hardworking Airmen to be part of this specialized career field,” said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. John Flory, commander of the readiness and emergency management flight a part of the 36th CES. “Our Airmen have to have a very high level of attention to detail because ultimately its life-or-death situations they train for.”
Readiness and resilience of our force protects the homeland, deters aggression and ensures Pacific Air Forces’ ability to fight and win if needed. Exercises, exchanges and operations refine the readiness and resilience of the joint team, our allies, our partners and ourselves so that we expedite collective responses to any challenges to the rules based on international order.
“We are important in so many different aspects,” said Daneault. “Thankfully we haven’t had to experience a disaster in the past couple of years but if or when it does happen our team will be able to effectively get the base back to mission operations, ultimately because we ‘practice like we play’.”