Naval Station Rota's Air Operations Department and Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) conducted a field training exercise designed to enhance training and operational readiness March 20, 2018.

The exercise, which was assessed by the Installation Training Team, established a learning environment with a simulated aircraft requesting to make an emergency arrested landing due to a bird strike.

"The purpose was to assess our ability to respond to inflight emergency and fires," said Chief Tyler Cannon, the Air Operations training team leader.

Watch standers were assessed on their flight line rigging procedures and support to the structure of the simulated aircraft. They then called F&ES after observing smoke from the aircraft engines and an unconscious passenger that needed assistance.

"It went well," said Cannon. "We train to make sure that we're able to help whatever it is without anyone getting hurt. The most important thing is to be able to make sure that the mission is getting done. If Air Ops is here to help save a life, then that's what we need to do."

Naval Station Rota enables and supports operations of U.S. and allied forces and provides quality services in support of the fleet, fighter and family for Commander, Navy Installations Command in Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia (EURAFSWA).

Just as ship performs lines of operation that provide a capability, Navy Region EURAFSWA bases perform the same eight lines of operation to provide capability to the fleet, joint and allied forces. These lines of operation are: air operations, port operations, safety, security, housing, MWR, Fleet and Fleet and Family Services and the core services: fuels, water and power that keep the bases running. Through the lines of operation, EURAFSWA installations are force multipliers that maximize combat capability of operational units.

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For more news from Naval Station Rota, Spain, visit www.navy.mil/.