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119th Wing hosts Emergency Management Exercise

By Capt. Penny Ripperger, 119th Wing / Published June 25, 2008

Airmen go through decontamination procedures during Emergency Management Training hosted at the 119th Wing, N.D. Air National Guard on Monday, June 23, 2008. Photo taken by SMSgt David Lipp, 119th Wing
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Airmen go through decontamination procedures during Emergency Management Training hosted at the 119th Wing, N.D. Air National Guard on Monday, June 23, 2008. Photo taken by SMSgt David Lipp, 119th Wing

Airmen go through a decontamination line at the 119th Wing, N.D. Air National Guard during Emergency Management Training in Fargo on Monday, June 23, 2008. Photo taken by SMSgt David Lipp, 119th Wing.
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Airmen go through a decontamination line at the 119th Wing, N.D. Air National Guard during Emergency Management Training in Fargo on Monday, June 23, 2008. Photo taken by SMSgt David Lipp, 119th Wing.

Airmen go through decontamination procedures during Emergency Management Training hosted at the 119th Wing, N.D. Air National Guard on Monday, June 23, 2008. Photo taken by SMSgt David Lipp, 119th Wing
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 3 of 3

Airmen go through decontamination procedures during Emergency Management Training hosted at the 119th Wing, N.D. Air National Guard on Monday, June 23, 2008. Photo taken by SMSgt David Lipp, 119th Wing

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Wednesday -- Fargo, N.D. - The 119th Wing, N.D. Air Guard will participate a multi-state exercise on Thursday, June 26th that will simulate a hazardous material (HAZMAT) terrorist attack at the 119th Wing. Airmen will utilize a mobile emergency operations center; work with base on-scene command and control procedures and perform crime scene preservation under simulated hostile conditions.

The 119th Wing is currently hosting a two-week training course to ensure airman from all over the nation are trained and ready to perform Emergency Management (EM) skills that are vital in homeland defense and overseas wartime operations.

Emergency Management personnel from Washington D.C., South Dakota, Illinois and Texas are currently in Fargo for the training. Leadership from many of the visiting units also arrived in Fargo on Wednesday night to take part in the exercise on Thursday.

"One of the goals of this training is to give Air Force Emergency Management personnel experience on how to operate in an environment after an incident involving weapons of mass destruction or Hazardous Materials," said Staff Sgt. Kristi M. Krabbenhoft, 119th Wing Emergency Management Flight.


Emergency Management is sometimes described as the "CSI" (Crime Scene
Investigators) of the military. EM personnel could be on-scene immediately following a catastrophic event to provide identification, gathering, preservation of evidence and command and control.

The EM airmen also perform radiological, biological, and chemical detection tests to ensure a safe operating environment.

"This is one of the highest level of response training in the military for Emergency Management," Senior Master Sgt Rick Larson, Emergency Manager at the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls, S.D.

"It's not only great training for military members, but it is also a benefit for our local communities to have these specialty-trained personnel available in the event of a disaster," he said.

The 119th is one of the limited sites where this type of specialized HAZMAT training is available in combating the war on terror.

Interested media are welcome to attend this exercise. Media will get the opportunity to view various procedures, work with specialized equipment, try on protective chemical/HAZMAT suits and talk with experts in the EM career field.

Please contact Capt. Penny Ripperger, 119th Wing Public Affairs Officer, to arrange a media escort on base at 701-451-2194 (desk) or 701-238-6944 (cell). Recommended time for media to attend the exercise is at 2:00 p.m., but special requests can be accommodated.

Videos containing b-roll and high resolution photos of the EM training that has taken place at the 119th Wing is linked to with this press release on the website: www.119wg.ang.af.mil.

What: 119th Wing hosts Emergency Management Exercise

When: Thursday, June 26th at 2:00 p.m. Media may request a different time with Capt. Penny Ripperger.

Where: N.D. Air National Guard Base, 1400 28th Ave. N, Fargo, ND 58102

Note to Media: Please contact Capt. Penny Ripperger to arrange a media escort on base.

B-roll of EM training and high resolution photos are linked to this press release on the website: www.119wg.ang.af.mil 

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