Malmstrom, partner agencies join forces for exercise
By Jason Heavner/Airman 1st Class Daniel Brosam , 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
/ Published September 16, 2016
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Approximately 150 Malmstrom Airmen and federal, state, local and tribal agencies participated in a Local Integrated Response Plan exercise Sept. 14 near Stanford, Montana.
The LIRP is a generalized plan that coordinates the response capabilities of the Air Force, FBI and civilian law enforcement departments within the state if a nuclear asset were ever threatened or compromised.
“It is vital we train and integrate first responder efforts,” said Stanley Moody, 341st Security Forces Group plans and projects manager. “We bring in the FBI, county and state officials, 11 sheriff’s offices, two police departments, Homeland Security, Montana State National Guard, Montana Highway Patrol and the Department of Energy and show them what we should do in the event of an incident to any of our nuclear assets.”
Due to the 13,800 square mile area of operation in the missile field that encompasses nine Montana counties, a collaborative relationship between Malmstrom and local authorities is imperative.
The LIRP exercise consisted of a mock convoy payload transporter carrying a resource to a launch facility involved in a simulated attack.
Local law enforcement watched the response as two UH-1N Huey helicopters from the 40th Helicopter Squadron assisted Airmen on the ground.
Each agency has their own procedures, however, ensuring constant communication during a possibly hectic time is critical.
Training provided during the LIRP exercise allowed experts from Malmstrom and civilian counterparts to practice contingency checklists and procedures together. The scenario also allowed Airmen to get hands-on training and help communication and integration between the different agencies.
“Whether it’s an Airman, a local deputy or an FBI agent, everyone is good at what they do when it comes to protecting our assets,” said Moody. “When we bring those resources together, it makes it all the more effective when deterring any incidents that may occur.”
The event had the most partner agency participation since the Nuclear Weapon Accident/Incident Exercise in 2013, Moody said, but they plan on making the LIRP exercise larger in the years to come.
“We wanted to make it more effective, making it more involved with the outside entities,” said Moody. “Everybody has a vital role to bring to the fight, and I feel that we’re going to get better with these drills in the future.”