Weathering the storm special ops style Published May 20, 2007 By 2nd Lt. Jesse Brannen 1st SOW Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Even though there were some lessons to be learned, the hurricane exercise conducted last week at Hurlburt Field was a success. The purpose of the exercise was to determine the preparedness for an actual hurricane and to find areas in which the base can improve, to ensure the safety of its members and their families, and accelerate the base's recovery after an actual storm, said Lt. Col. Paul LaVigne, 1st Special Operations Wing Inspector General. The best way to ensure success is preparation, Colonel LaVigne said. "Prepare your families now by getting supplies, building an evacuation plan, and know who to reach and how to stay in contact with your chain of command during a crisis," he said. "Personal accountability is huge during hurricanes," added Col. Tim Leahy, 1st SOW vice commander. "It's vital that everybody ensures they have updated information on their unit's recall roster." Personal responsibility when it comes to taking care of pets has been an issue in past hurricanes and it was again focused on during the exercise. Col. Norman Brozenick Jr., 1st SOW commander, stressed that every Airman who owns pets is responsible for humanely caring for their pets during an evacuation. The lessons learned during this exercise go beyond just hurricane preparedness and can be applied to daily operations. Readiness is at the forefront of every part of Hurlburt's mission. As with any exercise, there can always be improvements, but Hurlburt showed it's on the right track. "Effective communication and thorough planning prior to an emergency, are things everybody needs to keep in mind to ensure success," Colonel LaVigne said.