Traffic delays, limited customer service due to exercise scenarios

  • Published
  • By Tyler Hemstreet
  • Staff writer
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Long lines, long waits and possible evacuations could be a common occurrence in certain areas on base in the weeks leading up and throughout the Unit Compliance 

Inspection and accompanying terrorism exercise, which runs from Jan. 8-16. Other than personnel reporting for duty, base officials are strongly urging people with routine, non-emergency business to postpone their errands until the UCI concludes. 

Heightened security measures may affect traffic at the gates, certain buildings will be closed and situations may come up that will affect access to certain roads on base during the exercise, said base inspector general support lead Tom Thompson, 62nd Airlift Wing. 

"Those days are not going to be good days to come on base," he said. 

Certain locations on base such as the customer service mall, the library and the
base clinic will be affected in one way or another due to being a shelter-in-place location or something that plays a role in an exercise, Mr. Thompson said. 

"The inspection is going to be very invasive," he said. 

Most of the 62nd Mission Support Squadron service providers throughout the customer service mall will be participating in and responding to the exercise, said Lt. Col. Rhonda Larson, 62nd MSS commander. 

"Service will be impacted by many of the exercise events," Colonel Larson said. 

For customers who have an urgent situation such as a lost ID card or require casualty assistance services, Colonel Larson recommends calling the corresponding office before coming on base. 

The 62nd Medical Group's clinic will not close down completely, but people may experience possible delays or cancellations due to the heightened security measures during the exercise, said 2nd Lt. Sarah Lindsay, 62nd Medical Support Squadron. 

"Some people may have to cancel or reschedule appointments due to the exercise,"
Lieutenant Lindsay said. 

There are also plans to make the exercises in the following weeks a bit more realistic than they have been in previous exercises in order to prepare for the UCI, said Maj. Stephen Polomsky, 62nd Airlift Wing chief of plans and programs. 

"People will encounter many inconveniences if they come on base (during the exercises)," he said.