She joined during a pandemic and now keeps Robins AFB ready for anything

Robins Air Force Base Emergency Management always makes sure the warfighter is ready for chemical spills or taking biological agents.

Ready to be on scene is Senior Airman Makayla Tester, Military Lead for Emergency Management Logistics.

Each section has a military and civilian lead. Civilians who are prior military handle administrative duties. Tester said their sections work hand-in-hand to ensure the job is done.

Emergency Management fits into two operations: peacetime and wartime. Peacetime focuses on responding to natural disasters. Members are also HazMat and Operations trained, allowing them to work with the fire department in the event of a chemical spill or possibility of hazardous materials.

Wartime switches over to CBRN, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear. The agency teaches the base populace, both depolyed military and civilians, how to wear chemical gear. Tester said this ensures survival and efficient chemical gear operation if adversaries use chemical or biological agents

Tester joined the military at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. She attended tech school to apply for the job in December 2020. She has been in Emergency Management her entire career and is approaching her six-year anniversary this October.

Due to the current state of the world, the agency has been deployment training and getting people ready for CBRN. When Tester is not teaching in the mornings, she makes sure the agency vehicles are ready to go, including a response truck and a mobile emergency operations center, also known as MEOC.

They also have an ATV, a Polaris and a razor ready to respond.

Tester, also a facility manager, conducts equipment checks in their wing training area. She makes sure the area is clean and the HVAC system, lights, and electricity are working. This takes time since there are many buildings in the area.

Tester has been coined a couple of times by the three-star General. This was due to events that happened during her deployment that impacted locally as well. She said they were teaching multiple people about CBRN to prepare them for any events that could potentially happen.

Tester has also received the Airman of the Quarter Award for CE2. She explained their equipment total was about $500,000. Tester was one of the sole people to take care and maintain the equipment.

One event Tester looks back on was a public health exercise in 2023. Emergency Management worked with both RAFB Security Forces and the Fire Department.

The scenario in this exercise was an upset airman attempting to release a biological agent on base. They called in her agency and they responded with environmental engineers. In this exercise, they made recommendations on what suits to wear on scene.

Once on scene, emergency management took samples of the biological agent, which is what they would do if the scenario happened in real life.

Tester enjoyed being a part of that exercise and it is one of her favorite memories.

“That was something that was really cool to do. It was super fun and I enjoyed responding,” she said.

When Tester went into METs for the first time, the recruiter advised her to visit the Air Force website and look for jobs that speak to her.

Tester grew up in Tennessee, saying people can experience all four seasons in one day. This is what inspired her to get into natural disaster response, which led her to her current position.

Tester noticed the response during Hurricane Helene, which heavily affected her home state in 2024. This solidified why she enjoys her job.

“It’s reaching out with the local community and helping them with anything that they may need. Even with the HazMat response portion, it’s still helping the local community making sure that they’re staying safe from any type of hazard or accident that may happen,” she said.

Tester’s favorite part of the job is networking. Since emergency management is the only career field that teaches CBRN, they see every military member at RAFB.

“I think my favorite part of teaching CBRN is seeing someone start to understand why this is so important,” she said.

During her time, she has learned the ins and outs of the job and was able to visit a lot of places. Tester’s duty station was Guam, where she spent two years. While she was there, she did Temporary Duty for training. She was able to go to St. Louis for a C2 course, which teaches what to do if there’s an active shooter or a chemical response. She then went to Korea for a week to help with an exercise.

Tester is a Government Purchase Card holder and a member of the Wing Inspection Team. She said their flight is small, consisting of five military members in a 10-member office. She believes being able to speak on the military side is why she was named a Hometown Hero.

Tester said she is motivated by a career she enjoys. She describes herself as a hands-on learner, so being in logistics helps get her motivated, as well.

“I get to do stuff with my hands. I’m not afraid to go and play in the dirt to grab a sample, to check and make sure our equipment is working. I think that’s just a big portion of it for me,” she said.

Her mentality is work hard, play hard. She advises people interested in the career to network, because it can come in handy.

Outside of her everyday duties, she is a crafter at heart and enjoys crocheting, cross stitching and coloring. She also describes herself as an avid music lover and thrillseeker, who constantly visits Atlanta for concerts and Six Flags for rollercoasters.

She is ready to take on any thrill and keep Robins Air Force Base safe.