Mobility rodeo prepares Airmen for exercises, deployments


Senior Airman David Kandziolka demonstrates how to properly remove his simulated contaminated gas mask to Staff Sgt. Troy Zimmerman Dec. 13, 2010, at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, during an ability to survive and operate rodeo. The ATSO rodeo helped increase the critical real-world and phase II ATSO skills through combined academic and practical stations. Airman Kandziolka and Sergeant Zimmerman are assigned to the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron. (U.S. Air force photo/Senior Airman Angelina Drake)

Mobility rodeo prepares Airmen for exercises, deployments

by Staff Sgt. Alyssa C. Wallace
366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/20/2010 - MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- More than 400 Airmen participated in an ability to survive and operate, or ATSO, rodeo Dec. 13 here in preparation for upcoming exercises and deployments.

Participants attended one of five two-hour long classes where they learned proper chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear-active defense, protection, response, contamination avoidance, and control and mission continuation.

According to Maj. Erik Jorgensen, the 366th Fighter Wing assessments chief, the event was held in hopes of increasing critical, real-world and phase II ATSO skills through four combined academic and practical stations.

"Everything was broken down into pre-, intra- and post-attack activities -- from signals, what actions to take, how to take cover to neutralizing threats and how to recover from an attack safely and ensure they and their wingmen are taken care of through self-aid buddy care," Major Jorgensen said. "We tailored the audience towards first-term Airmen who haven't been exposed to an operational readiness exercise or deployment."

Staff Sgt. Anna Olson, the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron emergency manager, feels the rodeo was a necessary course for all potential deployers.

"Practice makes perfect, especially with inspections coming up," she said. "The more you do it, the better. You can find little tricks to help you out, and you'll be able to identify any trouble areas you may have."

She said being prepared can keep the Air Force from suffering a major loss.

"You may have a lack of things to cover equipment with, or you may notice you have an outdated map," she said. "If you don't understand how to cover an asset correctly, you could possibly have the off-gassing of harmful agents blowing in your face. That could be fatal, especially if you don't have the right equipment on.

"We do this kind of stuff for a reason, especially with the way things are going," she said. "You could be placed in these kinds of conditions at any time. This isn't something to take lightly. We do this training constantly to keep everyone's skills up to par so people understand the latest info coming out. Without this, if you are put into that kind of environment, you're not going to understand the important parts of it."

Major Jorgensen agreed.

"These skills are especially tailored through real-world scenarios and should pay off," he said. "I hope (Airmen go) away from this training feeling their time was well used and that they've learned something -- whether it's seeing how equipment is used, a procedure on the radio, visual signals or a lecture -- my first hope is that learning has taken place."