[MilCom] Westover JARB Joint Military/Civilian Exercise Next Weekend

[Ken]

My understanding is that this annual emergency medical & aero/ground 
evacuation exercise (sometimes called "Team Yankee") will be held the 
weekend of May 18th to May 20th, 2007, at Westover Joint Air Reserve Base, 
Chicopee, MA.

According to a brief interview that WWLP conducted with the MA Army National 
Guard Aero unit at Barnes recently (regarding state of readiness to respond 
to a natural/man made disaster), part of the exercise scenerio mentioned 
involved Connecticut being hit by a hurricance.

In the past exercise participants have included:
US Air Force Reserve  (medical,  civil engineering Prime BEEF, service
mortuary teams)
US Marine Corps Reserve
US Army Reserve
US Navy Reserve
MA Air National Guard
MA Army National Guard (includes helicopter evacuation)
CT Army National Guard (includes helicopter evacuation)
Veterans Administration
National Disaster Medical System -- Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT)
(unsure if both MA-1 & MA-2 teams (Boston, Worcester) will partcipate).
Civil Air Patrol (cadets & senior members as exercise casualties).
Local Civilian Ambulance Companies (e.g. AMR, Baystate, etc.)

Much of the exercise is conducted in what is called the "Dog Patch" training
area of the base, which is located north of approach end to runway 23 & east
of the approach end to runway #15.

You can check out the blog http://westernmass-milcom.blogspot.com/ & get the
typical  in use Aero (air traffic control & tactical) & Land Mobile Radio
support nets in use.  Also check out   http://www.airnav.com/airport/KCEF
for aero frequencies as well as an airfield diagram.

 Historically with this yearly exercise most of the on scene low power radio 
training/coordination traffic has been in 406-420 mhz range, so searching 
this band should yield results.

You can use google maps or google earth to give you an idea of perimeter 
areas accessible by vehicles.  BUT the only area that you can legally park 
at that will get you close enough to monitor the low powered radio action is 
the access road (South St) to the Westover Golf Course/Wade Lake 
fishing/recreational area (Granby/Ludlow).  You might also be able to park 
along New Ludlow Road just west of South St (in the area of the 
Blueberry/Strawberry picking stand).   Also for those
who like to hike in the woods, you could enter Chicopee State park 
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/chip.htm which is off Burnett Rd in 
Chicopee -- although this may not be open yet).    The Westover Air Park 
North area, Griffith Rd, Chicopee has No Trespassing signs (violators will 
be prosecuted) in the parking lot areas adjecent to the base fence line, so 
you could have a problem parking there.  Also the Civilian Metro airport 
area (255 Pagette St, Chicopee) may be a bit too far for picking up much of 
the lower powered radio traffic and they haven't been very happy with people 
parked for extended periods of time in their parking area.

I would suspect that most of the exercise will be held on Saturday May 19th, 
2007.

BTW if you are "on scene" remember to give a call out for other milcom 
hobbyists on FRS Channel 14 (467.7125 mhz) with CTCSS 38 (250.3 hz) OR the 
alternate frequency/ctcss is Channel 7 (462.7125 mhz) CTCSS 15 (110.9 hz). 
For this "on scene" activity use the general call ..."ANY TANGO YANKEE UNITS 
WITHIN RANGE..."

Perhaps I will see some of you on the fence line!!!

Ken
Springfield MA Monitoring Area