Dyess, community partners test crisis response during MARE, SOAR exercise

DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Airmen from across Dyess Air Force Base joined Abilene-area emergency responders for a major accident response exercise at Dyess, Sept. 2, 2026.

Led by the 7th Bomb Wing Inspector General, the installation-wide MARE tested Dyess’ ability to respond to an aircraft mishap while coordinating emergency operations with community partners. In conjunction with the MARE, the Dyess Medical Group conducted a Sustainment Operations for Air Force Medical Responders, or SOAR, exercise to assess its mass-casualty response capabilities.

The scenario simulated an on-base mishap involving a 317th Airlift Wing C-130J Super Hercules. An inflight emergency call to the aircraft control tower followed by a controlled detonation conducted by the 7th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal flight signaled the beginning of the exercise, prompting military and civilian first responders to respond to a simulated aircraft crash and multiple casualties.

“This exercise tested our response from the initial notification through emergency mitigation, cleanup and recovery,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jacob Bright, 7th CES commander and emergency operations center director. “It takes a whole-of-base effort, with security forces, fire and emergency services, the Dyess Medical Group, both the 317th and 7th BW and other organizations working through a complex aircraft-mishap response.”

Dyess and Abilene firefighters responded to the crash site, while 7th Security Forces Squadron Airmen established a secure perimeter, controlled access to the area and facilitated the arrival of off-base emergency vehicles. Medical teams assessed, treated and transported simulated casualties while coordinating with other responding agencies.

“Across the Department of War, we are well trained to respond to the major incident itself, but the friction points often live in the smaller logistical details,” said George Thomsen, 7th BW/IG director of exercises. “We have to exercise those procedures and maintain that muscle memory so the entire response flows the way it should.”

The concurrent SOAR exercise focused on the Dyess Medical Group’s ability to deploy response teams, triage and treat multiple casualties, maintain patient accountability and coordinate transportation from the crash site to follow-on care.

“SOAR gives our medics, installation and community partners an opportunity to rehearse the skills and processes they would need during a major emergency at home or while deployed,” said U.S Air Force Lt. Col. Kelley Henson, Dyess Healthcare Operations Squadron commander. “Practice and repetition help each team identify strengths, improve coordination and build confidence before a real crisis occurs.”

Participating community organizations included the Abilene Fire Department, Metrocare, Taylor County Emergency Medical Services, Hendrick Medical Centers, Air Evac 63, Tri-West and the City of Abilene. Military and civilian participants practiced sharing patient information, coordinating transportation and handoffs and maintaining accountability from the crash site through follow-on treatment.

“The exercise emphasized a coordinated response rather than separate civilian and military efforts,” Henson said. “That type of integration requires many teams to work from a common picture so they can deliver care as seamlessly as possible.”

The participation of local medical providers was critical because patients requiring higher levels of care would need to be transported off the installation during an actual mass-casualty incident.

“In a real-world scenario, we would rely heavily on our community partners because we don’t have the capabilities on the installation to deliver that higher level of care,” Thomsen said. “Our partners need to know the lay of the land, how we operate and how we execute so patients can be treated on scene, picked up and transported quickly and efficiently.”

Before the exercise began, medical personnel applied moulage, special-effects makeup used to replicate traumatic injuries, to volunteer casualties. The volunteers portrayed patients with burns, amputations, chest wounds and other injuries of varying severity, requiring responders to rapidly assess each casualty and prioritize care.

Each volunteer received a casualty card containing a simulated medical history, vital signs and expected response to treatment. Volunteers provided the information only after responders completed the appropriate assessments. Their conditions then improved or deteriorated based on the treatment they received, allowing exercise controllers to evaluate medical personnel’s decisions and actions.

The medical field response team reached the simulated crash site within five minutes, while the Medical Control Center activated within three minutes. Responders tracked all 48 exercise patients, including 32 at the crash site and 16 at the medical treatment facility. Every patient received a tracking number and medical personnel documented the disposition and location of all casualties.

“Efficiency is key,” Thomsen said. “We have to take care of what we need to do quickly so we can get back to generating aircraft and conducting our primary mission of defending the homeland. If we don’t exercise these incident-response capabilities, they atrophy.”

SOAR evaluators identified the use of the Pulsara platform, which provided data capture, communication and patient tracking, as a major strength of the Dyess Medical Group’s performance. They also highlighted the integration between military and civilian responders and their coordinated approach to patient care.

According to Lt. Col. Jesse Frazier, 7th BW/IG, the SOAR team described the event as the best integration with civilian partners its evaluators had observed since shortly after Sept. 11, 2001.

Together, the MARE and SOAR exercise tested Dyess’ response from the initial notification through patient movement and follow-on care. More importantly, the training gave military and civilian teams shared experience before they are called upon to work together during a real emergency.

“I am proud of the Airmen, civilian partners, exercise patients, moulage team and support personnel who contributed to this event,” Henson said. “Training realistically today is one of the best ways we can be ready to respond effectively tomorrow.”

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