Mission essential -- Cindy Thuli, 71st Flying Training Wing Plans and Exercises Published June 26, 2013 By Senior Airman Frank Casciotta 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Capt. Cindy Thuli is the Exercise Evaluation Team chief for the 71st Flying Training Wing Plans and Exercises office. The EET is 55 subject matter experts from around the base who meet once a week to brainstorm ideas to test Team Vance's ability to handle crisis situations. Base exercises play out like role-playing games. Thuli selects scenarios like hijackings, chemical attacks, explosions, tornados - the list goes on. Once an incident is selected, Thuli and her team make a timeline for events based on what responding personnel are likely to do. Once everything is planned, personnel are selected to act out a mixture of roles for the exercise. Some take on the part of the injured while others may be murderous gunmen or panicked family members. "We do these exercises to prepare the base to respond to real-world situations," said Thuli. "It helps us identify any weaknesses and figure out ways to fix them so we will be prepared for reality." Thuli keeps the base's skills sharp with the exercises her team develops, helping fulfill the Vance mission of developing professional Airmen.