Bivouac Provides Readiness Training For 163d RW CES Troops

  • Published
  • By Technical Sgt. Julie Avey
  • 163d RW
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  Imagine being the first person, or among the first group of people, to arrive in a battle zone or disaster area and your responsibility is to prepare for follow on forces to arrive. 

For the men and women of the 163d Civil Engineer Squadron the scenario previously described is a reality they face at a moment's notice, and for that reason constant training and preparation are a way of life. In fact, the squadron recently conducted a bivouac to gauge their effectiveness in such situations. 

The dictionary defines the word bivouac as a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter from enemy fire. Once at the selected site, troops temporarily provide the basic requirements needed for survival until additional forces and equipment can arrive to provide the requirements on a sustainable basis. Although temporary, ranging from several hours to just a few days, the mission that takes place at the camp site is complex and is a necessity for the survival of those setting up the camp and the forces that follow. Airmen from the 163d CES took part in a Bivouac over the April drill weekend as part of their annual training, which is also an Air Force requirement. 

According to Master Sgt. John Nortz, deployment scheduler for the squadron's Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force (Prime BEEF) component, the exercises are an important part of the squadron's mission. 

"The squadron has to train like we deploy, and that is the main reason behind holding an exercise such as the Bivouac," Sergeant Nortz said. 

But gearing up for deployment does not always mean going overseas. Although the unit has supported combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom and has even deployed to overseas locations such as Turkey, for Air National Guard units, deploying can also mean loading up your gear and moving a few miles down the road from home to support a local emergency. 

In fact, the last two deployments for the 163d CES took place in the U.S., one of which was only about 100 miles away. In 2005, the squadron was tasked with providing support to the greater New Orleans area during Hurricane Katrina disaster relief operations, and in late 2007, the unit deployed to the San Diego area to support efforts to suppress the California wildfires. 

"The public does not always recognize how much of a first responder the military civil engineering group is until the disaster plan is in full swing during a real-world event and people see us out there," Sergeant Nortz said. "The public is always appreciative of what we do when we're out there supporting real-world operations, so the training really makes a difference to the nation when put it into action." 

Many for the civil engineering occupations that are called to do the mission include carpenters, electricians, air conditioning and heating (HVAC) technicians and heavy equipment operators. 

According to Chief Master Sgt. Jeff Myers, 163d CES, the unit trains to support all types of missions because a big part of the squadron's responsibility is to be ready for any disaster. 

"The Bivouac exercise is a chance for Airmen to practice their skills in a learning environment in order to be ready for the real-world call," Chief Myers said. "We don't always know who, or what rank, will be tasked to deploy, so training scenarios help mentor and put supervisors and subordinates in different roles that they may be asked to fulfill under real-world circumstances. It also provides an opportunity to see the process and see where we stand individually and as a squadron." 

"No matter what job you have you need to learn basic wartime tasking skills, and this helped me grow in that area," said Senior Airman Marissa Lopez, a 163d CES material manager, who augmented the security forces team for the exercise.