Pax Notes Successful Security Assessment

Daniel Thoele, fleet antiterrorism ashore assessments and exercise program manager, briefs command team members in the NAS Patuxent River Emergency Operations Center following the the Final Evaluation Problem operational assessment that took place earlier in the month. (US Navy photo by Patrick Gordon)

Naval Air Station Patuxent River has successfully completed the Final Evaluation Problem operational security assessment that took place March 8-12, 2021.

FEP is a Commander, Naval Installations Command tri-annual certification event assessing the command, control, communications, and Naval Security Forces on all US Navy installations. The exercise is designed to assess NSF’s ability to meet all core competencies, covering the daily operations of the base and its ability to respond to an emergency.

“This exercise is the culmination of months of preparation,” said Matthew Nalley, NAS Patuxent River training officer. “Well before FEP we were preparing our security personnel in multiple antiterrorism scenarios. It’s beneficial in a lot of ways; in addition to creating the muscle-memory in our security forces to respond to an emergency scenario appropriately, the FEP process also shows us where we can improve so we can continue to effectively train like we fight.”

Training to respond to antiterrorism threats is an all-hands effort that involves federal and local emergency personnel working in tandem to react to simulated threats to the installation. Drills during the FEP assessment included gate protests, suspicious packages, and active shooter scenarios.

Jason Rice, NAS Patuxent River antiterrorism officer, explained that the FEP certification is just one part of the installation’s readiness.

“Pax River remains in a constant state of readiness to respond to any threat,” Mr. Rice said. “We have a unique Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation mission here for the entire DoD. Couple that with the more than 20,000 people that work and live within the fence lines of Pax River, and we have an obligation to protect our people and mission 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Completion of FEP is just one step in doing that.”

Following the exercise, CAPT John Brabazon, NAS Patuxent River commanding officer, expressed his appreciation for base personnel and their efforts during the exercise.

“I am extremely proud of our Pax River Security team on completion of another successful FEP and their continued dedication to the safety of the installation,” CAPT Brabazon said. “This was no easy task. Countless hours of preparation, training, and re-training has gone into ensuring our Pax pros – military, civilian, and contractor – can respond in a moment’s notice to an emergency, and FEP is proof of that.”