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Hawk eyes
By FLGOFF Jen Harrison

Volume 49, No. 5, April 05, 2007
 
DOWN TO BUSINESS: Airfield defence guards from 2AFDS provided force protection for 382ECSS members who deployed to the Wide Bay Training Area for Exercise Night Hawk.
File photo by Darren Hilder
 
SETTING up airbase services and an evacuation handling centre on a remote airfield was all part of the plan for 382ECSS during Exercise Night Hawk.

Members from 382ECSS deployed from RAAF Base Amberley to the Wide Bay Training Area (WBTA) during February for advanced training in deployed airfield support as part of the major squadron exercise.

Night Hawk validated squadron deployment standard operating procedures and Evacuation Handling Centre processing.

Members practised the full range of deployment skills, from planning the operation, deploying to an airfield, conducting and sustaining the operation, re-deploying to the home base and equipment checks at the home base.

382ECSS XO WGCDR Josef Piers said Night Hawk was an essential exercise for members to ‘ready’ them for short notice tasking, and as part of the squadron’s on-line status, which will resume shortly.

“Exercise Night Hawk provided the opportunity for personnel to consolidate their individual and collective level training during a squadron deployment and to validate equipment,” WGCDR Piers said.

“Essentially, an element of 382ECSS deploy to a remote airfield where they exercise the provision of airbase services, including force protection, and health capability in support of flying operations from that location.”

As part of the deployment, another main component of Night Hawk was the simulation of the Evacuation Handling Centre, where processing and security checks of evacuees were practised.

Daily role players from other units at RAAF Base Amberley were flown to the exercise area to act as evacuees to provide a realistic emergency evacuation scenario.

WGCDR Piers said 382ECSS CO WGCDR Rob McKenzie sought to make the exercise as realistic as possible to reflect lessons learnt from previous overseas deployments.

“The entire exercise was designed to be as accurate and relevant as possible, with members not knowing in advance what scenarios were going to be played out,” he said.

WGCDR Piers said Night Hawk was also an important opportunity to work alongside other units, with 38SQN providing daily Caribou transport from RAAF Base Amberley to the exercise area, and other base units providing role players for different exercise scenarios.

Airfield Defence Guards from 2AFDS provided force protection for the exercise scenario as well as undertaking other training activities in the area.

Elements of 382ECSS and Combat Support Unit – Amberley, remained back at base to maintain the day-to-day operations of the squadron. These members continued to provide essential services support to the base as well as providing administrative back-up to the deployed elements.