Base tests disease containment plan Published July 24, 2009 By Carl Poteat Air University Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- All units at Maxwell and Gunter participated in last week's exercise as the 42nd Air Base Wing reviewed the wing's Disease Containment Plan, according to Gary Looney, exercise evaluation team chief for the 42nd ABW. He noted these exercises are timely as the Air Force manages the Swine Flu (H1N1) outbreak at the Air Force Academy and health officials are preparing for the upcoming flu season. "It was actually the third time we exercised the disease containment plan this year," said Mr. Looney. The first was in March when the base participated in an Air Force directed All Hazards Response Training, or AHRT, exercise. Mr. Looney said the second was a "real world" exercise held the first of May when the base tested a probable response to the Swine Flu with the Alabama Department of Public Health. Responding to an exercise scenario that required the base populous to take oral medication, each unit at Maxwell and Gunter, including our mission partners, sent representatives to a "point of distribution" to receive the medications. All went well, Mr. Looney said. He said the key player in the exercise was the 42nd Medical Group; however, it became one of the largest exercises as all units were affected. Also tested in the exercise were base organizations' reaction to changes in Force Protection Conditions, or FPCONs.