Kadena hosts NEO exercise: Fit to Flight!

Volunteers from different organizations on base set up tables to answer questions that the Non-combatant Evacuation Operation volunteers may have during a NEO exercise on Kadena Air Base, Japan, April 4, 2014. These organizations included the legal office, the chaplain office, a medical team, and a TRICARE representative. This NEO exercise was set up by the Airman and Family Readiness Center to help dependents and other non-combatants understand the evacuation process in the event of an emergency that would make it unsafe for them to remain on island. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zackary A. Henry)

Kadena hosts NEO exercise: Fit to Flight!

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Christopher Swanson, 18th Security Forces Squadron response force member, along with Senior Airman Lance Radford, 18th Security Forces Squadron response force leader, perform mock carry-on inspections of the Non-combatant Evacuation Operation volunteers during an exercise on Kadena Air Base, Japan, April 4, 2014. The NEO exercise volunteers, who are dependents and other non-combatants, would be evacuated to a safe location in the event of an emergency such as a severe typhoon. This exercise is intended to test how smoothly that operation runs and what changes may need to be made. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zackary A. Henry)

Kadena hosts NEO exercise: Fit to Flight!

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lance Radford, 18th Security Forces Squadron response force leader, explains to the Non-combatant Evacuation Operation volunteers how a security check before entering the evacuation point would work during a NEO exercise on Kadena Air Base, Japan, April 4, 2014. The NEO exercise was set up by the Airman and Family Readiness Center to ensure dependents are aware of evacuation procedures in the case of an emergency. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zackary A. Henry)

Kadena hosts NEO exercise: Fit to Flight!

Published April 9, 2014
By Airman 1st Class Zackary A. Henry
18th Wing Public Affairs

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Volunteers gathered at the Rocker NCO club here April 4 for a non-combatant evacuation operation exercise to test the actions taken to move non-mission essential civilians off island if a situation arose.

This exercise was part of the Pacific Air Force Operational Readiness Inspection to test Kadena's plans to evacuate non-combatants in the area.

A non-combatant is a U.S. citizen, Department of Defense civilian or designated host-nation and third-country national who may be in danger in the event of a natural disaster or military emergency situation.

This NEO exercise stressed the importance of being able to locate all of the non-combatants affected, and being able to assemble them for evacuation.

"The NEO exercise was to test our logistical capabilities of processing non-combatant dependents and non-emergency civilians through a new processing line developed by the wing NEO working group last December," said Maj. Michael Fanton, 18th Force Support Squadron operations officer.

Sheri Abraham, 18th Civil Engineer Group warden and unit program coordinator for this exercise, said the purpose of the NEO is to ensure preparedness in the event that dependents need to be evacuated.

"In the event that something did happen, we need to know that the program works and it gives us the chance to find any hiccups in the process," Abraham said.

The evacuation plan for this exercise consisted of gathering volunteers and having them recalled by group NEO wardens. These wardens are in charge of smaller groups organized by locale. Once the volunteers arrived at the rally point, their luggage was collected and they were bused to Kadena High School for processing.

At the high school the volunteers received tracking bracelets and an expectation briefing before being moved to a holding area awaiting transportation. After being bused to the passenger terminal and going through a mock security check, the day was wrapped up with a barbecue lunch provided by the USO.

"This was a great learning experience for NEO partners across the entire wing and it will definitely make our capabilities of evacuating civilians off the island, if ever needed, more efficient," Fanton said.

Other dependents, non-combatants, and non-emergency civilians that did not attend this exercise are encouraged to participate in the next exercise.

"I received feedback from many of the volunteers that this was a great learning experience and they believed that all civilians should go through this type of exercise," Fanton said.

For more information, call the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 634-3366 or 098-961-3366, or email them at 18fss.fsfrairmanfamilyreadiness@us.af.mil.