115th Fighter Wing Airmen Participate in 2018 External Evaluation

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mary E. Greenwood
  • 115th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Airmen with the 115th Fighter Wing, Truax Field, Wisconsin, partic­ipated in the 2018 Chemical, Biolog­ical, Radiological, Nuclear and High Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) External Evaluation (ExEval) at Volk Field, Wisconsin, Aug. 16 - 17, 2018.

 

The ExEval was conducted by the 641st Troop Command Battalion Wisconsin National Guard CERFP to evaluate and train WI CERFP joint military forces.

 

Throughout the past year the Wisconsin National Guard has conducted a series of CERFP exercises and activ­ities including a recent “ExEval Warm up” in April and June 2018 that culminate with the 2018 ExEval of the WI CERFP.

 

The 115th FW’s Medical Group, Fatality Search and Rescue Team (FSRT), and Joint Incident Site Communications Capability (JISCC) attended this year’s ExEval working with Army forces.

 

“When you come out to exercises like this you have to understand your skills, you don’t have references like you do on base,” said Tech. Sgt. Samuel Keizer, the FSRT team lead with the 115th. “It’s a great opportunity to build and use leadership skills.”

 

This is the fourth year Keizer has participated in the ExEval.

 

“We provide reach back and communication to the Command and Control and CERFP,” said Capt. Jeffrey Rutkowski, the JISCC Officer in Charge with the 115th. “We provide the capabilities for the essentials such as radio, phones, and inter­net because without these components operations would be more difficult.”

 

Rutkowski performed the same duties in the State Interoperable Mobile Communications Exercise this past February.

 

“This exercise allows us to fine tune our skills and cross train our abilities” said Rutkowski. “If the time comes where we need to slide into another role, we have more knowledge and expertise in said role. We gain this not only through our own people, but also from joint forces.”

 

Our Airmen train in these conditions to prepare for real world situations. Airmen with the 115th FW JISCC deployed to Puerto Rico Sept. 23 in aftermath of hurricane disasters.

Soldiers, Airmen, and Leaders in the WI CERFP are expected to complete ExEval 2018 in a constructive and safe environment. The WI CERFP is re-validated to perform its CBRN Response Enterprise mission in support of the State and Nation.