Airmen play role in homeland defense exercise

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jim Fisher
  • 355th Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. (AFPN) --  A simulated catastrophe hit Davis-Monthan AFB Dec. 4 and tested base Airmen's ability to deal with a major accident with nuclear implications here.

Exercise Vigilant Shield 07, a national-level scenario which kicked off at Davis-Monthan AFB, connects the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Energy and a host of other federal, regional and local agencies.

The exercise is also going on simultaneously at several centers of activity across the nation. At the outset Dec. 4, Davis-Monthan AFB officials were busy paving the way for a response task force takeover and ushering in the Department of Homeland Security staff to manage the accident.

"We had to get into the crash site, save the injured, and then take steps to ensure public safety," said Col. Hal Hoxie, who led Davis-Monthan AFB's disaster control group. The DCG, a team of experts from multiple disciplines, was responsible for orchestrating the response to the accident.

Responders immediately established a perimeter, taking steps to safeguard people in the area and contain hazardous material. Work with civil agencies began in the first minutes of the "crisis." The colonel's team undertook extensive environmental action and consequence management, while keeping the public informed through Air Force and local authorities, he explained.

"I was impressed at how professional our teams were and how they teamed with Tucson and county police, fire and emergency management officials," Colonel Hoxie said.

The responders at Davis-Monthan AFB were also working with the national command authority to ensure the full resources of the federal government were brought to bear against the scenario, Colonel Hoxie said. This was the primary objective of exercise planners and organizers at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, according to a statement released by U.S. Northern Command Public Affairs.

Vigilant Shield is focused on a synchronized response from U.S. combatant commands in a homeland defense scenario with round-the-clock activity. The goal is to improve the DOD's ability to manage a series of extreme events. A key part of this is interagency response, the statement explained.

This cooperation was clicking at the exercise's southern Arizona venue, said Ronnie Faircloth, DTRA's acting director of Combat Support.

"The people and resources of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, together with the outstanding support of the city of Tucson and Mayor Bob Walkup, made this training experience a success. The base and city will no doubt walk away from this exercise better prepared to meet the challenges they could face in any scenario."

Vigiliant Shield ended for the Davis-Monthan AFB area Dec. 7, but continues until Dec. 14 for other exercise regions across the nation.

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