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JBPHH, HPD partners up during active shooter exercise

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Christopher Stoltz
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs
HONOLULU --  The Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam security department partnered with the Honolulu Police Department during an active shooter training exercise, held July 1, off base, at the Personnel Support Detachment building.

The exercise tested the JBPHH security department and HPD's emergency-response time and capabilities during an active-shooter scenario. This event in particular was different because it was held in a military building situated in a civilian location, which allowed both military and civilian police forces to work together to assess and respond to a threat.

Senior Airman Justin Williams, 647th Security Forces patrolman, was one of the military defenders to participate in the exercise, and one of the first responders on scene. He said although he has participated in exercises many times before, he learns something new each time.

"Repetition builds muscle memory," he said. "It may seem like we do a lot of these types of exercises, but having this experience is critical. Knowing what you're doing, in addition to discovering what you can improve on, can end up saving lives in the future if something as unfortunate as this happens. I hope it never does, but I want to be sure I am ready and capable of doing something if it does."

Captain Jun Park, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Security Department, oversaw the active-shooter exercise and said having these capabilities requires diligence and dedication, along with patience and the willingness to adapt and change one's game plan.

"Practice makes perfect, and enemy tactics are ever-changing," he said. "We need to be as close to perfect as we can get."

Park also said the military and civilian team dynamic presents new educational opportunities for JBPHH's Security Department.

"It's important to get everyone involved," said Park. "Holding these exercises on off-base locations adds a dynamic to our training which will help us respond effectively. Testing our capabilities and learning how we function when partnering with other agencies helps us evolve as a team."

"We're very fortunate to have the opportunity to partner up with HPD," he added. "It gives us the chance to learn from each other and discover possible weaknesses in how we operate. This will allow both of our forces to become stronger and better at defending our most valuable asset - our people."