14th CES deployment exercise

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Active duty and civilian personnel from the 14th Civil Engineer (CE) Squadron teamed up at Columbus AFB to complete a 96-hour CE exercise aimed to reinforce its troops’ deployment and expeditionary readiness skills. During the 4-day field exercise, 14th CES personnel engaged in scenarios they may face while deployed, such as land navigation, convoy operations and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) training. “This is our squadron’s first go at the training, so we have been really getting after it,” said Capt. Scott Ramsey, 14th CES flight commander. The training is a 4-year requirement for every CE unit in the Air Force. To help, civilians from the 14th CES joined active-duty members to teach and facilitate some training. These mostly contracted civilians are "subject matter experts who we rely on to give insights on the small details ... to get the job done right," said Ramsey. “Anything can happen when deployed," said Sgt. Kyle Duncan, 14th CES firefighter. The mission's critical role is to be able to get the whole unit out in a safe manner. While deployed, units are constantly on the lookout for CBRN attacks and expect members to be trained. At CAFB, the BLAZE Arena serves as a training house where troops improve skills and confidence, working in a simulated deployed environment. “I’ve been overseas before and attacks do happen,” said Duncan. “You have to make sure you know how to put your (CBRN) gear on and work the equipment ... (and) it is good that (the newbies) are getting the hands-on training before they eventually get sent down range.”