'casualty' at the Gate 2 access control point during a post-wide antiterrorism exercise Tuesday. During the exercise the post responded to a notional car bomb at the gate and an ... VIEW ORIGINAL
The sound of a gunshot can awaken many emotions. The (sometimes) unmistakable sound can incite the deepest of responses including fight or flight.
"We heard a lot of 'gunshots' and it scared the crap out of me," said Laura Turner, an employee at the eye care center at the Exchange.
"We could see Soldiers lying down and I could look out and see a Soldier's foot" outside the door, she said. Her and fellow employees "stayed in the back room for 45 minutes" until she couldn't see the Soldier's foot any longer and they made their way out of the building.
This incident was all part of an exercise involving the entire installation to test the post's abilities to respond quickly.
"Today we are exercising our ability to respond to crises around Fort Jackson and to deal with initial attacks that may occur around our community," said Maj. Gen. Pete Johnson while he was surveying the incident sites.
The exercise was not only "to take care of the initial threats, but to take care of the aftermath" as well.
Turner and others at the Exchange were caught in a hail of blank gunfire during Fort Jackson's full-scale antiterrorism exercise held Tuesday. Not only did a complex terrorist attack hit one of the busiest places on post, but the main gate was struck by a car bomb that snarled traffic for hours.
"We had a vehicle explode at Gate 2," said Darren Woodland, the Army Training Center's Antiterrorism Officer, who observed the exercise "that caused injuries to the access point and the visitors center."
Instantly after the explosion, military police cordoned off the area and began initial medical treatment for casualties until emergency medical personnel arrived to take over.
Woodland praised the efforts of first responders, especially those who guard the gates every day.
"The actual guards took action immediately and started to assist injured Soldiers," he said.
The exercise was fashioned to test the installation's emergency response across the gamut of post entities including the Directorate of Emergency Services and the Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies also responded as they would in a real terrorist event.
Woodland said the exercise also helped test "all other agencies that have a part to play in the event there was an actual event on Fort Jackson."
Moments after the exercise began the post's social media channel were abuzz with community members looking for information and the installation ensuring it's on and off post community were updated on exercise events.
The whole events was to ensure the base's readiness because "we in the Army train to be ready," Johnson said.
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