War simulation exercise for Delaware Air Guard

Roughly 350 Airmen are taking part in a two-day readiness exercise that is now underway at the New Castle Air Base.

 

Using colored smoke, loud announcements and other loud noises, the Delaware Air National Guard will simulate what its soldiers would experience during battle, during exercises Monday and Tuesday.

“This exercise will test our people and processes and help prepare us for real-world humanitarian or wartime contingencies,” said 166th Airlift Wing Commander Col. Mike Feeley.  “Various exercise scenarios are purposely designed to create a ‘fog of war’ to limit information and awareness, so that we have to rely on each other and adapt to changing situations.”

While the drums of war may be sounding in the distance as Congress considers action against Syria for its use of chemical weapons, Air National Guard leaders say the exercise is “not related to any specific or current real-world events.”  They say the training has been in the planning stages for months and will help the wing prepare for upcoming inspections.

During the simulation, several aircraft will launch from the New Castle base while personnel on the ground will work to detect simulated threats from the air or ground.  They’ll do the simulation while wearing gear designed to protect from nuclear, biological and chemical threats.

While there will be loud noises heard at the base, no live munitions will be used.