KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The members of the Air Force Reserve’s 403rd Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment section conducted routine readiness training for its technicians during the October unit training assembly.
AFE technicians, formerly known as life support, are responsible for keeping the aircrew safe. Those duties include providing safety equipment for use in the aircraft in the event of an emergency, and chemical, biological or radiological protective gear and the decontamination that goes along with it.
For the training Oct. 14, the AFE shop conducted Aircrew Contamination Control Area training.
“This training ensures the AFE technicians can get the aircrew members through a decontamination line as efficiently and as smoothly as possible,” said Tech. Sgt. Ronald Patton, 403rd OSS AFE craftsman. “The decontamination line is set up to process the aircrew from the outside in, using multiple stations to get rid of any possible contamination and remove the gear in stages.”
The AFE’s training started from the ground up, with the technicians having to assemble a decontamination area in the proper order and with all of the required gear. Once this area was assembled, the trainers went over the area and made small corrections, pointing out what needed to be fixed, but most importantly, explaining why.
“We don’t use all of the same equipment, that we used to have,” said Staff Sgt. Devonte Turner, 403rd OSS AFE technician. “The process has been simplified to make the process easier on both the aircrew and us. The amount of time and the handling of the aircrew has been shortened, which means spending less time in the gear for all of us.”
The new Airmen going through the training were getting to experience it from both sides. They were being suited up as aircrew in the full protective gear, to include the helmet, the gas mask, while carrying an oxygen container, and led through the decontamination line, like they would be if coming from a possible contaminated aircraft.
Staff Sgt. Jamie Dominguez, 403rd OSS AFE technician, said the most difficult part to cope with, was feeling restricted inside the protective gear and that the flight protective gear is hotter and thicker than the other protective gear.
“Some of the changes has made the process smooth and very easy to go through,” said Dominguez, after going through the decontamination line.
“This training was geared toward making sure that the newer members, who have never done this before, as well as everyone else, are comfortable with the process and some of the changes that have come about,” said Patton.