Sestava 1

: report37/ Report Jozef ŽIAK/ Photo Peter DOVINAAdvancing stealthily towardsthe perimeter fenceof the Zvolen Barracksfrom several directions,terrorists descend onHeadquarters Air ForceCommand, Control andSurveillance Brigade.36Exercise BurningWall 2010In what is a well thought-out plan, some insurgents are trying to breachthe base perimeter by hiding inside vehicles approaching the Control EntryPoint (CEP). They’ve picked a time when the gate is teeming with activity,with many different vehicles and personnel entering the base. The terroristsare hoping that the soldiers checking vehicles will ease up on their vigilance.Meanwhile, another group of attackers is closing in on the side gate andthe perimeter fence. They are on the point of launching a surprise attackfrom different positions so as to make the base protection force spread outand defend the base at several posts.Barracks defendedMembers of the HQ Company, Radar Reconnaissance Battalion, are not tobe caught off guard. Aided by the Rapid Response Force personnel, who respondto their urgent call for support, they resist the attackers’ attempt toenter the base.This time, however, there are some losses. 1st Lt. Miloš Pešta, CEP Commander,calls in paramedics and regroups his base protection force. He anticipatesthere will be very little peace and quiet over the next few hours.This was one of the scenarios of a military exercise, codenamed BurningWall 2010, which took place at HQ Air Force Command, Control and SurveillanceBrigade in Zvolen from 20 to 22 April. Two other exercises had been heldin 2009 as part of preparations for TACEVAL (Tactical Evaluation).This year’s exercise scenarios were developed by Lt. Col. Vladimír Jaklovský,the brigade’s Second-in-Command (SinC), and his colleagues. Based on lastyear’s lessons learned, he incorporated a large spectrum of potential threatsin the exercise in order to thoroughly check the readiness of the brigade’s individualcomponents to defend and protect the barracks’ grounds, home toHQ Air Force Command, Control and Surveillance Brigade as well as to theControl and Reporting Centre (CRC). The CRC plays an essential role in policingSlovakia’s airspace.Exercise Burning Wall 2010 was carried out in 16-hour cycles, during whichsoldiers had to deal with a variety of tasks. These included a timely responseto an NBC threat, a NBC alarm, a simulated vehicle accident inside the barrackswith an environmental impact, suspicious persons photographing thebarracks, demoralising leaflets, water contamination, a fire alarm, evacuationof facilities, sabotage, an attempt to smuggle an intruder hidden inside a vehicleonto the premises via a checkpoint, and a terrorist attack.The exercise was, among other things, a test of compliance with responsetime standards, critical reporting and decision-making.MILES makes exercise more realisticDuring the exercise, a vital role in protecting the barracks was played bythe Entry Control Point personnel, posted at the gate. According to the ECPCommander 1st Lt. Miloš Pešta, who is also SinC of the Command SupportCompany, Radar Reconnaissance Battalion, last year’s exercises were aimedat setting up a well-functioning system to efficiently inspect the incomingand outgoing vehicles and persons and to deliver a timely response to potentialthreats.“Preparations for this year’s exercise focused on synchronising the dutiesof personnel at the ECP. They were expected not only to remain on high alertwhile searching vehicles and checking persons but also to responded properlywhen under attack or faced with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).”“Compared to the past, I saw significant improvements. By using the MILES2000 simulation system, we created a more realistic environment. Thanks tothis, soldiers would notice even seemingly insignificant trivia and provide coverto each other. Moreover, they became increasingly aware that one mistakemay put them out of action and, with extra tasks and a lower number ofpersonnel, weaken their teammates’ efforts.”“I was pleasantly surprised to see increased activity on the part of our personnel.This concerns especially those who had failed to achieve required resultsduring the prep stage. One can see that the right amount of adrenalineand motivation may produce the desired effect,” said 1st Lt. Pešta.CBR emergency managementAs part of the exercise Sgt. Marek Gondek and his CBR Surveillance Groupgot busy monitoring the outdoor air quality within the base grounds. A safeworking environment for military personnel depends largely on early detectionof toxic chemical substances in the air and issuing a timely warning to theunits.Suddenly, a two-member observation patrol detected toxic agents in theair. Immediately after identifying them, Sgt. Gondek passed the vital informationvia the chain of command. Within seconds his teammate signalled DAN-GER, producing a loud clanging sound by striking two iron bars against oneanother, while the Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) raised the alarmthroughout the entire facility and gave an order to EVACUATE.Strict time standards and procedures were observed during the exercise.To facilitate their job, CBR Squad Leader Cpl. Dušan Kováč and his teammatesused the added value of their CBR vehicle. In an attempt to prevent an ecologicaldisaster, they became intensely engaged in identifying and neutralizingchemical substances, found in a car park and during a vehicle accident withinthe base grounds.Burning Wall evaluatedIn spite of some deficiencies, Lt. Col. Vladimír Jaklovský, the brigade’s Second-in-Command,was satisfied with the results. “We involved the MILES2000 simulation technology in Exercise Burning Wall 2010 for the first time.This enabled us to design individual scenarios far more realistically.”“In performing their assigned tasks, our personnel paid special attention tomaintaining proper combat conduct and providing cover for soldiers, as wellas to using ammunition more efficiently. We are planning to use the MILESsystem during our next exercise later this autumn,” emphasized Lt. Col. Jaklovský.According to the Second-in-Command, the exercise demonstrated that hispersonnel are able to manage a crisis situation by themselves and can protectthe Control and Reporting Centre (CRC). None of the intruders failed to get closerthan 200 or 300 m from the CRC, where they were eliminated on the spot.As part of Burning Wall 2010, a coordination exercise, dubbed Tatra Freedom,examined the responsiveness of individual emergency shifts dealingwith non-standard situations in Slovakia’s airspace.During the exercise, the brigade’s First- and Second-in-Command highlyappreciated the pragmatic approach of CEP Commander 1st Lt. Miloš Pešta,who fully exploited his expertise from Operation Iraqi Freedom. Also praisedwas the accomplishment of the Rapid Response Force, made up of forwardair controllers under the command of 1st Lt. Edmund Makovník, and the jobof CRC Shift Leader 1st Lt. Peter Kábrt and Battle Staff Commander Lt. Col. ĽubomírChrenko. He and his team always reacted timely and correctly in theface of threats, and flexibly regrouped forces and resources whenever andwherever needed.SLOVAK ARMED FORCES 2010