SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. —
The 375th Air Mobility Wing conducted a public health emergency exercise with base and local mission partners, Dec. 13, 2024. The exercise aimed to identify potential gaps in existing response plans, improve interagency collaboration, and ensure all participants clearly understand their roles in a public health crisis.
“Our focus was on ensuring the installation could protect the Scott population during a Public Health Emergency,” said Master Sgt. Michael Voorhees, 375th Wing Inspector General exercise planner. “As the host wing for Scott AFB, a vital piece of the 375 AMW’s mission is to enable our tenant partners through infrastructure and communication support. So, ensuring our tenant units remain healthy and operational during a Public Health Emergency is critical.”
This simulated emergency included representatives from United States Transportation Command, Surface Deployment & Distribution Command, Defense Information System Agency, Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, the 126th Air Refueling Wing, the 932nd Airlift Wing and the St. Clair County Health Department.
“Scott AFB is unique due to the large population of civilians and the number of tenant units the Wing supports,” explained Voorhees. “Getting together allowed us to verify our preparedness and provided leaders the opportunity to have their organization’s needs heard.”
Throughout the exercise, participants worked through scenarios designed to test their ability to rapidly deploy resources, assess medical needs, and manage public health logistics. One key focus was determining where to source medications, equipment, and other critical supplies depending on the scenario. The teams worked to map out the distribution channels, evaluate stockpiles, and explore potential shortfalls in supply chains.
Voorhees emphasized the need for comprehensive coordination saying, “By synchronizing our efforts with the objectives of our mission partners, we remain attuned to their needs. After all, our role is to support our 35 mission partners and ensure they have what they need to be successful.”
In addition to this exercise, in 2024, the 375th Inspector General team ran mission assurance exercises covering scenarios like cybersecurity, anti-terrorism, domestic violence and natural disasters.
