McChord Airmen warring on the Basin

62nd Aerial Port Squadron uses field as stage for pre-Iraq war games

GEORGE — A high-pitched tone echoes over the three-square mile swath of land known as "Yakistan."

"This is what it sounds like when you die," says Sergeant Glen Comeaux sheepishly. Comeaux is part of the 62nd Aerial Port Squadron and "Yakistan" is an isolated field off of Road I east of George. Comeaux is one of 25 airmen playing war games Monday afternoon. He was "killed" by one of the three enemies that tried to infiltrate their compound.

"We are up here doing a field training exercise for some of our new airmen before we deploy overseas to the desert," said Master Sergeant Christopher Carter. "It's a good opportunity out here in Moses Lake. You've got the kind of terrain we will be looking at over there."

"If you get rid of the sage, that's Iraq," said Comeaux as he waited to be resurrected.

The airmen will be deployed this December, and Combat Skills Instructor Jason "Rip" Van Winkle said the goal is to simulate situations the airmen will face in Iraq.

"They're getting tired," he said. "Sleeping on a cot for four or five days at a time. Eating meals-ready-to-eat, it gets to you after a while. It's hot, you haven't taken a shower in four or five days — you're a little on edge — it's human nature. But it prepares them for a lot of different situations of what they might end up seeing out there."

Van Winkle said their goal is to secure a perimeter and fend of attacks that come at infrequent times 24-hours a day.

"If you look close, you will see some guys hunkered in some foxholes or out in the brush," he said, pointing to an area where no one was apparent. "They've got all the roads coming into their camp blocked. They're all over the place."

Van Winkle said the war games are based off of situations they have experienced in combat, and certain battles are scripted to reflect that.

"In the middle of the night they will taunt us with a gospel preacher blasting out of huge loudspeakers just to keep us awake," Comeaux said.

The airmen are armed with M-16s with laser attachments used to simulate hits in the war games. Comeaux said it's important the airmen see how they can be hit, even when they thought they were well hidden.

Some lessons need to be learned firsthand.

"You can see how three people can keep 12 people at bay, and even kill a few of them," he said after one game. "There's a lot of team building that goes in out here. They mold as one so they almost don't have to talk to each other so you know what your buddy next to you is going to do before he does it."

Although some of the airmen have seen combat before, Van Winkle and Comeaux said it is important that they teach those without experience in battle.

"The guy who's been there is going with four or five guys who have never been," Comeaux said. "So he can share his knowledge with his counterparts."

"We've got a lot of young guys out here," Carter said. "But they are holding their own. Taking direction from leadership, getting a feel for what is going to happen to them out there, battling the elements of the heat and the cold."

In addition to the war games, the airmen worked with night vision and will practice taking an aerial drop from a C-17 before they leave.

"We will have to start wrapping up the operations here after the last air drop," Van Winkle said. The simulated war games are expected to continue through Oct. 9 at the drop zone near George. "They'll police the area, put the tents back together and convoy to Grant County airport. Fly back to McChord."

Van Winkle said the simulation has been convincing enough to make them return to the area.

"I think we're going to be coming over to this region more," Van Winkle said. "It's probably going to be an ongoing thing. My boss likes it, his boss likes it. They were thoroughly impressed with the operation. So when the colonel is happy, everyone's happy."