Pfc. Jim Carney calls for an ambulance at a shooting scene behind Building 409 after FC2 Ryan Jones gave first aid to the victim’s leg injury during last year’s Solid Curtain⁄Citadel Shield exercise. Playing the ‘‘victim” is MA3 Clifford Deloch.

For one thing, traffic will be impacted during working hours for a short time.

Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield is a tool to evaluate and demonstrate our ability to prevent, detect, report, respond, and recover from terrorist incidents, including Force Protection Condition elevation and Emergency Management, Medical, and Fire⁄Emergency Services assets.

Though the exercise has been an annual event for Navy activities and shore installations inside the continental U.S. since 1999, training has in the past focused mainly on simulations. Those will continue, but expanded and more generally visible exercises like this year’s SC⁄CS aim to draw attention to the real-world applications of all that practice.

‘‘We’ll be more realistic in the future. The mantra is, ‘Train like you fight, fight like you train’,” said Craig Buist, installation program director for training and readiness at Pax River. ‘‘Part of this is about daily situational awareness about what is going on around you.”

At some point during the 12-hour exercise, Force Protection Condition will rise to FPCON Charlie. Gates 1 and 3 will be closed for approximately 30 minutes, as security forces establish a broad perimeter around the ‘‘incident.”

All traffic entering through Gate 2 will be subject to Random Antiterrorism Measures, including intensified security screening, 100 percent identity checks for all passengers and increased random vehicle checks.

‘‘We’re not going to block traffic for an hour, but we are going to exercise to the point of demonstrating capabilities, and then fold into a softer perimeter to no longer interfere with operations,” said Buist. ‘‘Clearly, there will be traffic delays. There’s just no way around it.”

Once Pax River has successfully demonstrated the ability to escalate to FPCON Charlie, Gates 1 and 3 will reopen. Cars passing through all three gates will then be subject to random screenings for the duration of the exercise.

The initial impact on traffic will be substantial, and traffic rerouting and building evacuations will occur at exercise locations.

According to Chief Master at Arms Christopher Hammett, smaller exercises will be noticeable across station throughout the week. Should an actual threat or attack arise, the Navy will still be fully ready to respond.

‘‘Every day for that week, you’re gonna see stuff happening on the base. Don’t freak out, but if you see something unusual, call. Everyone on the base is part of this drill.”

In that spirit, Hammett requests ‘‘understanding and cooperation with searches. Have your valid IDs out, not waiting in your purse.”

He continued, ‘‘Please plan ahead, be prepared for delays during that week, and be patient as we exercise and evaluate our installation’s preparedness for an FPCON Charlie event.”