OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea –
The giant voice loudly blares the Mission Oriented Protective Posture condition
as Airmen working at the Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Fitness and Sports
Complex scramble to put on gas masks.
The 51st Fighter Wing is
participating in Operational Readiness Exercise Beverly Midnight 15-1, which
coincides with exercise Key Resolve 2015.
On any given day, the fitness
facility gymnasium would be brightly lit. Today however, the windows are blacked
out to accommodate the onslaught of service members required to sleep on cots
for "bed down" in support of KR15.
"Bed down is the process during
contingency operations where we facilitate lodging accommodations in a
non-typical fashion, whether that's through a tent city or through a hardened
structure, basically whatever facilities are available," said Staff Sgt. Aaron
Spencer, 51st Force Support Squadron fitness assessment cell NCO in
charge.
Spencer said he feels the installation would max out its lodging
facilities quickly in a real-world situation.
"Being a part of this kind
of operation opens your eyes to the responsibilities we have to take on as part
of the bed down team," he said. "In real life situations, these people are going
to need to get here, and they are going to need to get bed down
[fast]."
Senior Airman Edward Bouley, a member of the Osan Air Base
Fitness and Sports Complex front desk operations staff, was able to implement
real-world bed down operations here when the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami
struck Japan in 2011.
"By the time we got the notice, they were already
starting to load people on the aircraft [and send them here], so we had to be
quick," Bouley said.
Within hours, Airmen were scattered across the base
erecting tents and building cots for the wave of incoming refugees evacuated to
Korea from Japan.
"It's always a good sense of accomplishment for me,
especially when you know exactly what you are doing has a direct impact," Bouley
said.
Bouley described it like being deployed and seeing an aircraft take
off with a full load of ordnance and coming back empty.
"I think it's
important, for reassurance, that we are here and we are doing everything we can
to help them," said Staff Sgt. Keyatta Toldert, 51st FSS fitness NCO in charge.
"It may not be home, but it is what we have to offer, and we are trying to make
them as comfortable as possible."
The fitness facility staff has
transformed an area in the gym into a movie theater and game room and ensured
limited foot traffic through the newly formed living quarters to help
accommodate its temporary guests.
"A lot of time people are setting up
tents and don't think much of it because they don't really see [the impact],"
Bouley said. "But when that day comes, like when the earthquake hit, the
training you have comes into play."