Sniper fire, enemy attacks, hostile takeovers and nuclear/biological warfare were all part of the Texas Air National Guard 147th Fighter Wing’s agenda this past weekend as more than 900 military personnel prepared for active duty at Ellington Field.

The joint-use civil/military airport is home to the Texas Air National Guard, as well as a variety of other U.S. armed forces branches, and this weekend was the site of a simulated battlefield for the 147th Fighter Wing.

Simply referred to as Phase II by military insiders, this exercise had all the makings of a major Hollywood production. Props included pseudo-bunkers and simulated bombs; while each member of the fighter wing meticulously played out the role they were assigned.

As hundreds of Air National Guard men and women carried out their battlefield tasks at Ellington Field, a designated warlord added new twists and turns to the day’s events. This individual drafted the script of events and ultimately directed the exercise.

Based on the scenarios presented by the warlord a central commander made decisions about what course of action the entire fighter wing would take.

“We don’t play one against the other,” said Maj. Shaunte Cooper, public affairs officer for the 147th Fighter Wing. “We are all on the same team.”

The ultimate goal of the exercise was to test the capabilities of the wing as a whole and to measure each individual’s performance under pressure. According to Maj. Cooper, only the warlord knew what scenarios the wing would be facing.

Much like in real life, each combat mission and individual soldier’s assignment was treated as classified information. On Saturday morning the troops learned what battle they would be fighting and as the day progressed they were presented with obstacle after obstacle.

“We could be told that an entire wall was blown off or that all the electricity is gone,” explained Maj. Cooper. “Our job is to continue working and to find ways around those situations.”