Are you prepared for the ‘big one?’

  • Published
  • By Col. Steve Arquiette
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Last week, some of Team Travis' Airmen who reside towards the Bay Area were awoken in the wee hours of the night by a 4.2 magnitude earthquake centered just outside of Oakland. Luckily the quake didn't cause major damage or injury to any people, but what it hopefully did do was stand as a reminder that we need to constantly be prepared for the unexpected, whether it's a natural or man-made disaster.

California is notorious for earthquakes, and if a large quake hits the Bay Area, Travis will assume a key role in the medical and logistical recovery efforts for the 7 million people residents who will be without power, food, water and more. Base leadership is engaged with local and state governments to coordinate proactive preparation efforts, as well as with our families and local residents to ensure all basic preparation needs are ready to go.

If we have a large natural disaster in this area, not only would we have to deal with the aftermath as residents of Northern California, but we will also have a very large responsibility as an Air Force installation. After Hurricane Katrina, which hit Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., especially hard, base officials had to figure out how to evacuate Airmen and their families and recover and clean up the base, while also assisting the local community. Many teams, including the 615th Contingency Response Wing, deployed to Keesler to help recover the airfield and bring in supplies.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a refreshed emphasis was placed on people to constantly be prepared. However, now less that two years later, many of us continue to remain unprepared. Do you have a plan should we get hit by the "big one" or a devastating terror attack? Do you have the basic supplies to survive should you be isolated for an extended period of time? It is almost impossible to predict when a devastating event is going to occur, so it is imperative we stay prepared at all times!

We exercise annually to help ensure the base is prepared should the "big one" occur, hopefully with the understanding that it isn't a far-reaching possibility. Take the time to "exercise" and plan with your family as well. We will all need to have our personal affairs in order, to ensure we are ready to accomplish our responsibilities as Airmen.

BE PROUD! BE SAFE!