KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 18th Maintenance Operations Squadron tested their emergency response skills during a simulated injury scenario as part of a USAF Force-led operational exercise Beverly Midnight 26 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, March 12, 2026.
During the exercise, members of the 18th Wing inspection team entered the 18th MOS work center and presented Senior Airman Khourey Darby, a 18th MOS maintenance manager, with an exercise inject card. The card simulated severe burns to her right arm, prompting fellow Airmen to assess the situation and provide immediate medical care until first responders could arrive.
“Luckily my coworkers were close and acted quickly,” said Darby. “After I received the card describing my simulated injuries, I began acting out the symptoms and they started helping right away.”
After assessing the situation, Darby’s colleagues moved her to a safe location and applied gauze to her arm while communicating her condition to leadership and medical personnel.
“I’m very satisfied with how the Airmen reacted to this inject,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Briton, 18th Maintenance Group quality assurance inspector. “They acted quickly and executed their procedures effectively.”
Every Airman maintains a foundational proficiency in tactical combat casualty care, or TCCC, enabling them to provide immediate medical care in emergency situations regardless of their primary career field.
“We’re all TCCC certified, so we should all have that baseline of care,” Briton said. “But it’s important that we continue practicing, because an emergency could happen to any Airman in any shop.”
Exercises like BM 26 are important because they allow Airmen to train for realistic combat scenarios which are essential to the success of air and space operations.