National Guard kicks off Vigilant Guard in Iowa

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
  • National Guard Bureau
DES MOINES, Iowa (AFNS) --  It was around this time last year when the Iowa National Guard responded to assist residents overwhelmed by the disaster caused by an F5 tornado and Midwest floods.

This week, the National Guard acted as the nation's first military responders to domestic emergencies such as mock chemical spills, animal disease and terrorism during an exercise here.

Hundreds of Guard Soldiers and Airmen from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska responded here and in Kansas June 17-24 as part of the exercise, Vigilant Guard '09. Vigilant Guard is a component of Ardent Sentry 2009, a national-level emergency response exercise.

Iowa's main exercise event kicked off June 18.

Guardsmen here are joining with local, state and federal emergency responders at a downtown training area to test their ability to work together in a domestic emergency.

These highly trained Guard units included the state's Joint Operations Center, Joint Task Forces, the Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Teams (CST), Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Packages, medical, communications and other participating Guard units and their equipment.

Officials said some primary goals in the exercise include:
-Development of interagency coordination and cooperation
-Evaluation of the response during the training events
-Integration and synchronization of emergency responders
-Providing opportunities for emergency responders to exchange best practices
-Community preparedness and awareness

In Des Moines, a mock train derailment released toxic chemicals.

The units worked through the Guard's joint operations centers in coordination with U.S. Northern Command and other military forces and commands as part of the overall national response of local, state and federal assets.

"It's an opportunity for us to work across the board," said Chief Warrant Officer 5 John Wynn from the Iowa National Guard. 

Mr. Wynn worked as the command chief for the exercise and is the senior Army safety officer at the Des Moines exercise site. "In [our] state mission, we need to identify and help train and assist how we get on a scene, how [responders] are utilized and what roles we play respectively in a response."

At the mock disaster scene, responders arrived to find a large number of role-players acting out various injuries. Simulated explosions, a turned over rail car and other effects added realism to the exercise scenario.

Mr. Wynn said the exercise tests first responders at the disaster site, but it also tests their emergency operations center and its military and civilian representatives situated at nearby Camp Dodge.

"So we are exercising the full spectrum. Their communications systems are being exercised, our communications systems are being exercised and we are doing it as it would happen in real life in a semi-controlled environment," he said.

"I think it's extremely important to work with Guard personnel, not only to get to know each other, but how are we going to work together," said Des Moines police officer, Sergeant Lori Lavorato.

Sergeant Lavorato and about 20 other police officers, including those from the city's bomb squad, were the first civilian responders at the disaster site. She said last year, when there was a flood, city police worked alongside guardsmen in flood mitigation efforts.

"To make things work and run in order we need to work well together, and this is why we have these exercises," said Sergeant Lavorato. "So if there are some issues, we can get those straightened out."

The Iowa Guard's 71st CST was the first military responder onsite.

Army Lt. Col. Tim Glen, the team's commander, said many first responders had roles to play. "We are trying to figure out how we work together and then also expose a large part of the National Guard including the civil support teams," he said.

Colonel Glen said he hopes to form working relationships here with first responders under what would be a "pretty strenuous circumstance" in a real event. "Plus helping them realize that [the Guard's] resources are not just in Iowa, but in other states that can come help," he said.