Fort Sill Police patrolmen Brian Wilson got on his radio and gave the report: about 40 injured and a several fatalities at the grandstand on Polo Field.
Wilson continued his call as he gingerly stepped over bodies as "victims" moaned and groaned in agony. An explosive device of some type had detonated here. Nearby two police officers dressed in tactical gear scoured the parking lot for any suspicious packages or vehicles. Twenty-five yards away near the Polo Club a half dozen Soldiers were on their knees coughing and vomiting from an apparent gas release.
This was the scene Sept. 13 at 9:20 a.m. at Polo Field as the Fort Sill postwide mass casualty exercise began. The mock scenario was an explosion at a change of command ceremony, followed by automatic gunfire and the release of chlorine gas.
The two-day anti-terrorism and force protection exercise was designed to test the post's response in four areas, said Jim Carney, exercise senior controller.
Installation Management Command observers evaluated how Fort Sill first responders created an incident command post, and how the installation's operations center activated its emergency operations center. They also tracked the post's fatality management procedures, and how the public affairs office staff handled the dissemination of information, he said.
More than 100 people participated in the exercise from all the directorates with some organizations more heavily involved, such as emergency services, human resources, public affairs, public works and the Medical Department Activity. Dozens of Soldiers from units including the 428th and 214th Field Artillery brigades, as well as the 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, also participated as role players with "injuries."
The garrison commander wanted to make the exercise realistic, but still have minimal disruption to operations on the rest of the post, Carney said.
Instead of closing all the gates, only allowing mission essential personnel on post, maintaining perimeters and ID checks at buildings and canceling training, all which would have normally been done, only Gate 2, the Henry Post Army Airfield access control point used Force Protection Condition Delta procedures, Carney said. Interstate 44 might also have been closed in a real-world attack.
Once the bomb site was declared clear by police, Fort Sill firefighters entered the area and began triage procedures.
They also used their firetrucks to set up a decontamination site at Polo Field for the gas injuries. A firefighter shouted instructions to victims who stood and slowly turned in front of nozzles with simulated sprays of water.
Day 2, the exercise resumed and focused on recovery with the injured evacuated to local hospitals. Emergency vehicles transported 15 victims to Reynolds Army Community Hospital and 15 were taken to Duncan Regional Hospital's emergency room, Carney said. Six of the injured were taken to the U.S. Public Health Service Lawton Indian Hospital.
Maj. Mark Brown, Directorate of Emergency Services deputy director, was in charge of the Fort Sill police and firefighter response during the exercise.
"They (law enforcement, fire) did very well," he said. "Emergency services operations are something we do everyday, but we were able to take it a couple steps further and do what we would if a catastrophe happened."
A quick after-action review of the exercise was performed after Day 1 with the evaluators, Carney said. A written report is required within 30 days, and a conference must be performed within two months.
During the afternoon of the first day, Col. Paul Hossenlopp, Fort Sill garrison commander, conducted a mock press conference. He provided information about the attack and gave out family assistance information. He also fielded questions from reporters.
Afterward, Hossenlopp answered about the exercise. He said the post conducts quarterly exercises. The major exercises, like the anti-terrorism one, create solid plans or playbooks for the post. Fort Sill has four main playbooks: wildfire, tornado and ice storm disasters, and a terrorist attack, he said.
"I think it went very, very well," he said of the anti-terrorism force protection exercise. "All the players involved took it very serious."
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