Airman 1st Class Kayla Newman

A U.S. Air Force airman, attached to the 620th Ground Combat Training Squadron, climbs into a tunnel at a simulated town on the North Range of Camp Guernsey, Wyo., Oct. 15, 2012. The town will be used in a nuclear-convoy training exercise called Road Warrior.

CAMP GUERNSEY, Wyo. - A thick cloud of dust flew in the air as a steady procession of vehicles bounded across a loose-gravel road, which ran through the North Range of Camp Guernsey, Wyo., Oct. 15.

Just as visibility was almost completely obscured, the vehicles stopped at a makeshift town, and its passengers exited – ready to carry out their primary objective – the theft of a nuclear device from the U.S. Air Force.

“Our main objective is theft,” said Senior Airman Anthony Leopardi, 620th Ground Combat Training Squadron nuclear training instructor. “If we get the resource into the tunnel, there is no way they are getting it back.”

Leopardi pointed to an unassuming structure in the town. A metal door, set into its base, led to a series of interconnected tunnels running beneath the town. As Leopardi examined the structure further, his team began scouting the area – looking for the best position to ambush a nuclear convoy. This scenario, the town and even the ambush team were all part of an elaborate, annual training exercise called Road Warrior – which is operating in its 10th year.

“The goal is to raise the awareness of convoy teams, so they know how to respond during an attack,” Leopardi said. “This is the worst-case scenario – to get hit in a town.”

He motioned to the metal containers, stacked to resemble buildings. Inside, each building was a veritable maze of dark corners and narrow stairways, perfect for an enemy to hide behind before opening fire on airmen.

“The convoy teams must be very familiar with their weapon systems,” Leopardi said. “While we are working to steal the resource, they will be actively trying to protect or recover it.”

While Leopardi’s team prepared their ambush, another team from F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. spent time honing and refreshing their combat skills. All participants were given a clear understanding of how essential this training is.

“Transportation is the point when the nuclear resource is most vulnerable to attack,” said Maj. Jay Parsons, 620th GCTS commander. “These teams need to know how to prepare for, act and react to any possible danger that could occur.”

Parsons encouraged participants to absorb as much of the information presented, during the 10-day exercise, as possible.

“We train hard, so if the moment comes to employ what we’ve learned, we can operate on muscle memory,” he said. “If the lessons of this exercise become second nature to our airmen, they can ensure the horrible scenarios we train for never become a reality.”

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series highlighting Road Warrior X, the nuclear-convoy training exercise held annually at Camp Guernsey, Wyo.

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