The U.S. Air Force held radiological aircraft recovery training at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, Jan. 23, 2020, according to a recent service news release.

Airmen from the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron take part in a radiological aircraft recovery training exercise. The 19th Airlift Wing continues to forge Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear readiness through monthly Ability to Survive and Operate (ATSO) Rodeos.

The purpose of the training is to continue to aggressively mitigate challenges of mobility operations in contested environments through deliberate efforts that fortify command and control systems and enhance aircraft survivability.

The scenario for the training was for aircraft to simulate flying into a radiological environment using the appropriate protective gear. Personnel on the aircraft were then met at the flight line with trained professionals to help them get the care and decontamination they would need, as well as decontaminate cargo and the aircraft.

This training included efforts from the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 19th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, 19th Civil Engineer Squadron, 19th Logistic Readiness Squadron, and 19th Operations Support Squadron.

During the training, Airmen from the 19th OMRS Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight used equipment to detect and monitor radiation, giving them real-world practice for this type of scenario.