Tag Archives: gowen

Ultimate Caduceus: “Surge the System”, FEMA Region 10 Mass-Med-evacuation!

26 March 2023 (16:05-UTC-07 Tango 06) 06 Farvardin 1402/04 Ramadan 1444/05 Yi-Mao(2nd month) 4721/26 марта 2023 года

McChord Field, Washington, 15MAR2023. Photo by John Wayne Liston.

From March 13th through 17th, 2023, FEMA Region 10 underwent a mass aero-medical evacuation, affecting the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington!

The U.S. Transportation Command (TransCom) coordinated the medevac.  More than 4-hundred military (Regular [Active Duty], Reserve and National Guard) and civilian personnel from across the U.S. were involved, including personnel from the the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Defense Health Agency.

McChord Field, Washington, 15MAR2023. Photo by John Wayne Liston.

Most of the medevac took place on McChord Field in Washington, but also included Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; Gowen Field (Boise Airport), Idaho; and Portland Air National Guard Base (Portland Airport), Oregon.

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, 13MAR2023. USAF photo by Airman First Class J. Michael Peña.

Fortunately it was all a massive training event: “It allows in a controlled environment to surge the system, identify what needs to be improved, then to act on those areas to train to the highest standards.”-Major Donna Olson, 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron

“You want to make the training as realistic as possible with some stressors you would find out in the real world. Making sure the players aren’t completely stressed out, but proper learning is done.”– Master Sergeant Robert McNeal, North Carolina Air National Guard

“It’s important to do exercises like this to give people a sense of what happens in real world situations. The more you do it the less you have to think about it when it actually happens.”-Technical Sergeant Shannon Glover, 446th Operations Support Squadron

U.S. Air Force video report by Airman First Class Quatasia Carter, 13MAR2023:

A Boeing C-17 Globmaster-3, on McChord Field in Washington, was used to move the victims, video by Staff Sergeant Chris Sommers, 14-15MAR2023:

Some of the victims were delivered via UH-60 Black Hawk rotary wings, with the help of Portland Fire, video by Staff Sergeant Chris Sommers, 17MAR2023:

Some victims were transferred from the C-17 to awaiting Black Hawks, video by Staff Sergeant Chris Sommers, 15MAR2023:

CH-47 Chinooks also brought in victims, video by Staff Sergeant Chris Sommers, 17MAR2023:

Some CH-47s delivered directly to the waiting C-17, video by Staff Sergeant Chris Sommers, 14MAR2023:

Washington Army National Guard video, by Peter Chang, 17MAR2023:

Exercise Ultimate Caduceus has been conducted since at least 2011, but it is not always in FEMA’s Region 10.  Ultimate Caduceus 2011 took place in FEMA Region 4, and the scenario was disaster response to a massive New Madrid earthquake.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Region 10:  Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington.

U.S. Disaster, 2022: UTAH’S NEW FEMA REGION 8 URBAN DISASTER TRAINING SITE

CASCADIA RISING, FEMA PREPARATIONS, CANADA ONBOARD!

Pandemic Perfidy, 2021: MILITARY MEDICAL TEAMS DEPLOY TO FEMA REGIONS 4, 6, 8 & 10!

A-10C snowblind walkaround in Idaho!

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras, 02DEC2018.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras, 02DEC2018.

A-10C Thunderbolt-2s from the 124th Fighter Wing on Gowen Field, Idaho, got a little snowblind 02DEC2018, but that didn’t stop them.

Idaho National Guard Photo by Airman 1st Class Mercedee Wilds, 02DEC2018.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras, 02DEC2018.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras, 02DEC2018.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras, 02DEC2018.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Becky Vanshur, 02DEC2018.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Becky Vanshur, 02DEC2018.

Idaho National Guard Photo by Airman 1st Class Mercedee Wilds, 02DEC2018.

Idaho National Guard Photo by Airman 1st Class Mercedee Wilds, 02DEC2018.

Uh oh! Looks like some ‘Idaho’ got removed as well.

Idaho National Guard Photo by Airman 1st Class Mercedee Wilds, 02DEC2018.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Becky Vanshur, 02DEC2018.

Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Joshua C. Allmaras, 02DEC2018.

Idaho National Guard Photo by Airman 1st Class Mercedee Wilds, 02DEC2018.

VEHICLE I-D, July 2018: IDAHO A-10C

2012 Pocatello Airport: IDAHO NATIONAL GUARD A-10C THUNDERBOLT 2, ‘walkaround’ photos by me

World War 3: “This is where armor fights!” Idaho National Guard returns to Cold War era ‘Total Force’ warfare training! First female combat mechanic! Pure Armor ecstasy!

12 September 2014 (23:59 UTC-07 Tango 11 September 2014)/16 Dhu l-Qa’da 1435/20 Shahrivar 1393/19 Gui-You 4712

“…we’re re-energizing that thing that we knew, and applying the new systems that are available to us. It continues what we’ve established over the last 10 years in Afghanistan and Iraq; it’s an opportunity for us to combine forces and re-engage the heavy fight….”-Colonel Brad Christopher, 116th Cav Brigade Combat Team Idaho National Guard

After a decade of training for low intensity conflicts (like the questionable occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan) the Idaho and Oregon National Guards just concluded new Total Force warfare training, similar to what we trained for during the Cold War and in the 1990s.

Back in the day, we trained hard for massive force on force warfare with the ultimate ground force wargame being held at Fort Irwin National Training Center (NTC) in California.  But that all went away with the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq.  (remember, not one Afghan or Iraqi was involved in the 9-11 attacks on the U.S., the alleged attackers were Saudi, Egyptian, Lebanese or from the UAE)

Apparently the growing tensions with Russia is pushing the U.S. Army to return to Cold War training, even though the Obama regime continues to deny that we’re returning to a Cold War mentality.

“Being at the Orchard Training Center allows leaders to get their tanks, their Bradleys and their crews and Soldiers with live-fire and tactical maneuver and practice those skills, so when and if it becomes time to use them, they are already trained, proficient and confident.”-Lieutenant Colonel Brian Dean,  3-116th Cav Battalion Oregon National Guard

Orchard Training Area (OTA), south of Boise, was recently the scene of massive armor and artillery (I assume  Pocatello’s 1-148th Arti was there, for a couple of years I was a 13F with that unit) wargames not seen since the late 1990s.  Units from the U.S. Army’s Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, as well as Army Reserve and the Idaho and Oregon National Guards went head to head in the eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC, pronounced ‘ecstasy’) operation.

As a former 19K with B Co 2-116th Armored Cav (as it was known then), as well as a former 19E with California’s D Co 1-185th Armor (I was also a 12F with CSC 1-185th Armor before that, and somewhere in between I was an IsoDock crew chief on C-130s with 463rd MAC at Dyess AFB),  I can tell you that being on the line during tank gunnery is XCTC.

Click the pics to make bigger (unfortunately some of the photos were taken with crappy 110 camera with fixed focus lens and are fuzzy)

A couple of sergeants from Oregon accuratly describe what it’s like training at the OTA: “This environment and these big guns going off just adds to the chaos.  We eat a lot of dirt out here, a lot of dirt!”-Staff Sergeant Brian Allender

“It’s an adrenaline rush when you’ve got tanks and Bradleys and armor meshing out here in the middle of nowhere. It’s a lot of fun! The training value out here is invaluable. This is where armor fights!”– Staff Sergeant David Wahlstrom

Of note, a woman has become the first female M1A2 SEP mechanic in the Oregon National Guard.  Specialist Samantha Brumley also took part in the recent XCTC wargames, but never thought she’d be a first: “I wanted to be a nurse. I actually wanted to be a medic when I got in, but that didn’t happen….I like getting hands-on. I like getting dirty…I never thought I would join the National Guard and be a tank mechanic. I certainly never thought I’d be the first woman.” 

TRILATERAL COMMISSION PLAN IN MOTION: JAPAN TO JOIN U.S. & U.K. IN CREATING JOINT MILITARY FORCE! PREPARATIONS FOR TOTAL WORLD WAR?