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Show The 388th Tactical Fighter Wing bustles with activity would contact the hospital so they could make preparations. If there were any fires, the fire department would dispatch trucks to make sure blazes were under control. con-trol. The communications representative represen-tative would make sure telephones and other communications lines are repaired immediately. And if supplies sup-plies or transportation are needed, the resource management representatives represen-tatives could call their respective people. "Everyone in the SRC and WOC plays an extremely vital role in making sure we stay combat ready, ' Maj. Artery added. 'Sometimes people don't realize how important something is until they don't have it. For instance, a lot of people depend on the phone to do their job. If all the lines were down after an attack, we'd need them operational as soon as possible." possi-ble." But for now, there have been no attacks at this base and although base members hope and pray that never happens, they must always remain alert and ready to do their job, Col. Allen stressed. "Down here, we make sure the 'combat clock' is running smoothly. It's important that we coordinate with the appropriate people and that we use good, rapid communication. One of the challenges is making sure the mission mis-sion continues without any glitches. "If there were an attack against our base, we'd work closely with the SRC to know the first moment we could begin launching combat sorties. That way we could keep so much fire power on the bad guy that the hospital has no more business than they have now.' Special to the Clipper By Sgt. Gary J. Kunich 388th TFW Public Affairs AN AIR BASE IN THE MIDDLE EAST This base housing the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) bustles with activity ac-tivity as daylight creeps over the horizon. But in one building, the only light is that of the electric fixtures fix-tures illuminating the room. This is the site of the Survival Recovery Center and Wing Operations Center. "The SRC and WOC are the nerve centers of the entire base," said Maj. Jenny Artery, the SRC director. di-rector. "Together, we're the command com-mand and control center for all flying fly-ing and combat support operations. Every agency we need to keep the wing flying is represented here. ' On the SRC side of the house, those agencies include air base operability, explosive ordnance disposal, disaster preparedness, security police, fire department, civil engineering, hospital, communications com-munications and resource management manage-ment In the WOC, maintenance and operations officials keep the commander updated on the status of all the wing's aircraft. "Although the SRC and WOC have two different missions, we work side by side and our jobs interlock," explained Maj. Artery. "The main job of the SRC is to n.uke sure this base can still operate and generate sorties before, during and after an attack. "The WOC initially 'breaks out the air tasking order from headquarters head-quarters and allocates blocks of missions to each squadron. We also coordinate mission details with U.S. Central Command Air Forces and keep tabs on the jets from the time they take off until they return," Lt Col. Bruce Allen, WOC director, added. ' 'The maintenance representative keeps the commander and all of us informed of any problems. That way we can make adjustments to meet combat tas kings." And while this base itself has not had to recover from an attack, Maj. Artery said it's important that the SRC and WOC work closely together. "We still play a big part in the day-to-day operations of the base. For example, if there's an inflight in-flight emergency and an aircraft is coming back that still has ordnance on it, we have to make sure it's taken care of immediately. Our EOD representative will alert his people to the problem and get it taken care of." If the base does come under attack, at-tack, though, things would get a lot more hectic, she said. 1 ' Units around the base would call here and report any damage they've received. receiv-ed. The plotter would then take that information and mark the places that were hit on a base map we have. Our primary job is to keep the jets flying, so we'll assess the damage, find out what needs to be taken care of first so the mission can continue. "With all the agencies we have here, it's like one-stop shopping," Maj. Artery continued. "The different shops can communicate with one another, face-to-face, without having to make a bunch of phone calls. "If it's determined that we were hit with chemical weapons, our disaster preparedness representative would determine what kind of chemical it was, what effect it would have on the base and how long the threat would last He could notify the security police representative represen-tative here and tell him how big of an area they should rope off, so more people aren't injured. "Meanwhile, EOD could dispatch dispat-ch people to locations where bombs have landed, but haven't exploded, to take care of that problem," she said. "We would handle the worst problems first and then work down from there. No matter what, the mission comes first, so if the runway run-way is bombed, that would be our first area of responsibility. "After the area is declared safe, the civil engineering representative would dispatch his people out to make the minimum repairs necessary. When those repairs are complete, we'll tell the operations people in the WOC so the jets can get off the ground. ' According to the major, other agencies in the SRC would be equally as busy during an attack and would have specific tasks they'd have to accomplish. The hospital representative would find out where the wounded or casualties are and |