Base exercise week may cause delays, interruptions Published March 1, 2016 HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- The week of March 14 through 18, Hanscom AFB will conduct exercise scenarios to evaluate the installation's readiness and emergency response capabilities. According to organizers, conducting various scenarios during a week allows Hanscom to improve its assessments by testing a variety of items together, as opposed to conducting several small exercises throughout the year. During this upcoming exercise week, there will be base-wide engagement, during which delays and disruptions in normal business operations should be expected. Some scenarios will result in traffic delays entering and exiting the base, as well as restrictions around the installation. Organizers recommend that, apart from previously established exceptions, non-essential visitors and meetings that require participation by folks coming from off base be limited. Typical scenarios evaluated during an exercise include the ability to respond to hazardous materials events, weather events, internal threats and force protection concerns. Organizers say, in addition to improving Hanscom's evaluations, holding the events throughout a set week helps minimize overall interruption for Hanscom's mission. However, they stress that exercises such as these help the installation prepare for real-world situations.