HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Base officials will conduct a readiness exercise from late March to early April to assess the installation’s ability to rapidly deploy personnel and resources, test military members’ warfighting skills, and evaluate units’ ability to sustain operations.
The exercise, which will include an active shooter scenario, is part of the Department of Defense’s priority to rebuild military readiness and reestablish deterrence in an increasingly complex global security environment.
“The goal of these exercises is to ensure our organizations are prepared to execute the mission in a contested and dynamic operating environment,” said Thomas Ruud, the 66th Air Base Group’s Inspector General. “We’re focused on fostering a warrior ethos and ensuring our personnel can respond effectively under pressure.”
Officials will try to limit impact to customer service functions and traffic delays entering or exiting the installation.
Inspector General personnel emphasize safety, and if any real-world emergency occurs, they will stop the exercise immediately. Wing Inspection Team members will monitor all scenarios and will be identifiable by blue vests.
During the exercise, Airmen will process through the personnel deployment function line, receiving deployment orders and completing medical, legal, finance, and training verifications before being cleared for simulated departure.
“This will test our ability to prepare a large group for deployment on short notice,” said Master Sgt. Kenneth Souheaver, 66 ABG IG superintendent. “We routinely process individual or small-group deployments, but this challenges all units to come together and execute on a larger scale.”
This exercise will culminate in a field-based training scenario, reinforcing operational readiness in a simulated deployed environment.
“These exercises provide an opportunity to identify and address weaknesses in a controlled setting,” Ruud said. “By refining our processes now, we ensure that when called upon, our Airmen are ready to deliver.”
For questions or concerns before the exercise beginning later this month, base personnel should contact the 66th Air Base Group Inspector General’s office at 66.ABG.IG.Workflow@us.af.mil.