Hanscom AFB to have first of two major exercises Published March 3, 2015 HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- During the week of March 16-20, Hanscom AFB will be evaluating its readiness and emergency response during the first of two exercises for calendar year 2015. Organizers say that Hanscom AFB has gone to two major weeklong exercises per year to improve its assessments by testing a variety of topics at once, as opposed to the traditional several small exercises. Throughout the week of March 16-20, there will be base-wide engagement in a number of scenarios. Some of these scenarios will result in traffic delays entering and exiting the base, as well as restrictions around the installation. Delays and disruptions in normal business operations should be expected. It is recommended that non-essential visitors and meetings that require participation by folks coming from off base be limited. Some typical scenarios that may be evaluated are the ability to respond to security breaches, hazardous materials events, force protection response and the ability to work with local communities. Organizers say going to two exercises per year will help minimize overall interruption for Hanscom's mission and stress that exercises such as these help Hanscom prepare for real-world situations.