Practice makes perfect for LRS sweep teams

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Rey Ramon
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Conducting sweeps to locate unexploded ordnance or suspicious packages is an important action that many Airmen here are doing during this week's Pacific Air Forces Operational Readiness Inspection. 

One of these sweep teams from the 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron made its usual rounds around their compound Wednesday and ended up finding one of those "suspicious" packages. 

"Our sweep team saw it, located it and called it in," said Senior Airman Darin Pugh, 18th LRS vehicle operator, during an ORI exercise scenario. "We then cordoned the area to prevent any injuries while we waited for the explosive ordnance team to arrive." 

The 18th LRS has been practicing self aid buddy care and sweep team scenarios for a while now to ensure every Airman was well prepared for the ORI. 

"Learning the scenarios help Airmen when encountering these situations, especially when we deploy," said Airman Eugene Washington, 18th LRS vehicle operator. "This helps everyone because they'll know what to do. As a team we'll be successful and get things done safely and effectively." 

The LRS Airmen have spent the past eight months going through different scenarios in preparation for this week's major command assessment. 

"We're very confident of the training our folks have been given," said Airman Pugh. "It has become second nature to them." 

The Airman said all the previous training will benefit the unit for real world situations and also during this week's inspection. 

"There shouldn't be any scenario the inspectors can throw at us that we haven't either trained specifically for or wouldn't be able to adapt our current training to fix," said Airman Pugh. "The current training we have will allow us to overcome any scenario."