Exercise helps Airmen ready for combat Published Aug. 24, 2012 916th Public Affairs Office SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- If you're not deploying, you're exercising. And we don't mean in the ''fit-to-fight, run a mile-and-a-half' kind of way. We mean in the 'let's don some chem gear' kind of way. The 916th Air Refueling Wing, just like any other military organization, has a requirement to exercise its Airmen on a regular basis in scenarios pertaining to real-world type situations. Even though the wing just underwent a grueling, ability to survive and operate inspection in early 2011, the mission to keep its Airmen and reservists current in these techniques is a priority. In early August, wing leadership ensured Airmen received the needed training in chemical warfare, command and control, self-aid and buddy care and a slew of other areas that help keep them safe during real-world threats. Airmen from across the wing gathered to complete their required training in mission oriented protective posture gear (MOPP gear) and unidentified ordinance disposal one day and put these skills to use the next day when the wing ran scenarios geared to test skills under harsh circumstances. Even though this was an internal exercise conducted by wing leadership, the 916th faces two real-world higher headquarters inspections soon with the first one starting in December.