New Jersey unit supports Maryland’s Exercise Vigilant Guard 18
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEfCIBODUEA” css=”.vc_custom_1525866128586{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1525863306817{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”]Article by Staff Sgt. Nancy Spicer, 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1525863319528{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”]ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND-EDGEWOOD AREA, Md. – Service members from the 21st Civil Support Team from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey participate in Exercise Vigilant Guard 18 on May 8, 2018. Nearly 800 National Guard service members from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, New Jersey, and New York are participating in Maryland’s exercise.
“The purpose of Vigilant Guard is to improve coordination, operational relationships, plans, and processes in preparation for emergencies and catastrophic events,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Linda L. Singh, the adjutant general of Maryland.
In the training scenario, Hurricane Cora has caused severe loss of life and damage to residences, businesses, and critical infrastructure throughout the mid-Atlantic region. The storm also has caused long-term power outages and cascading effects to critical infrastructure in the region, including transportation and communications systems.
During the exercise, the 21st CST was dispatched to the training area to a possible chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives contamination at a nursing home.
“Once we arrived on scene, we immediately determined this situation was too big for our CST,” said Major Ian A. Cairns, 21st CST incident commander. “We requested support from Homeland Response Force to secure the scene allowing our team to focus on our mission.”
The medical, survey and decontamination teams were required to assess and treat patients, evacuate buildings and attempt to determine the CBRNE source.
“The 21st CST is being tested on their ability to conduct CBRNE Response Enterprise operations in response to national and man-made disasters that involve chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive components,” said Staff Sgt. William Camp, 21st CST training and assistant operations sergeant.
Vigilant Guard is an exercise that allows the Maryland Military Department, along with 42 federal, state, and local agencies a chance to collaborate and test interoperability as part of a national level exercise. The agencies are evaluated on preparing for and recovering from a catastrophic hurricane making landfall. Nearly 2,000 service members, from within the FEMA Region III area, are participating in the Vigilant Guard exercises in Maryland and Virginia. International partners are present observing the exercise to take home lessons learned. The national level exercise is sponsored by the United States Northern Command in conjunction with National Guard Bureau.[/vc_column_text][vc_text_separator title=”View photo gallery from exercise”][vc_raw_html css=”.vc_custom_1525864620210{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]