It’s a scary thought: someone with a gun on a military installation with evil deeds in mind. Someone like the shooter at the Washington Navy Yard! But, Patuxent River Naval Air Station prepares for it. Every year Pax River and other installations hold a two-week exercise called Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield in which they prepare internally and also with other installation for the horrible possibilities, including an “active shooter.” Indeed Pax River did provide some support personnel in the wake of the Navy Yard shooting.

That “active shooter” exercise was held Thursday beginning at 10 a.m. For several hours a mock drill was held in which the shooter entered Building 588, which is a supply headquarters, took hostages, shot several people, and had to be subdued.

Patuxent River NAS Executive Officer Captain Heidi Fleming said the annual drills are about security, not only for the people who live and work on base, but for the greater community as well. During the exercise the base gates are briefly shut down (as training for security personnel). In a real event the perimeter would be secured to hold the perpetrator on base until he or she was apprehended so they don’t get out into the community.

Capt. Fleming was highly complementary of the cooperation between the base and emergency personnel outside the gates. For this exercise the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and Charles County Emergency Medical Services participated, but she also noted the ongoing cooperation of Calvert County as well.

Workers in the building involved were notified in advance of what was going to happen but in addition each person involved in the drill, including the shooter, was accompanied by someone wearing a vest indicating a drill was going on.

 

First to arrive on the scene were base security personnel followed by the sheriff’s department SWAT team in their specially designed truck. A command post was set up several buildings away and the Charles County unit stood by there until being called to transport the injured.

As part of the exercise at least one person was transported to a Maryland State Police helicopter waiting nearby on base. The enactor was placed in the helicopter as part of the training, but not flown out, according Capt. Fleming.

During the drill there were periodic “time outs” called so that training could be done on what was happening at that particular time.

 

The press were allowed to observe and take pictures from a distance but not allowed inside the building, although a Navy photographer was able to take pictures there and share them with the Bay Net.

 

“We try to make it as realistic as possible, said Capt. Fleming. The gunshot at the beginning of the exercise and another later from the rooftop by one of the policemen, along with the almost hour-long glaring of the sirens from the Naval Police cars lent an air of authenticity to the event.

Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield runs through Friday, February 28. It is a Navy-wide training exercise designed to enhance the training and readiness of Navy Security Forces to respond to threats to installations and units. Solid Curtain- Citadel Shield is not in response to any specific threat, but is a regularly-scheduled exercise held across the Navy.

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