996th Area Support Medical Company prepares for Vigilant Guard

Courtesy Photo | Arizona Guardsmen participate in a semiannual PHA.  

TEMPE, AZ, UNITED STATES

01.11.2014

Courtesy Story

123rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

TEMPE, Ariz.-Arizona National Guard prepares for a snowy spring.

Annual training for the 996th Area Support Medical Company will be conducted in Valdez, Alaska, from March 22 to April 5.

The unit will participate in Vigilant Guard, a mission that trains local Alaskans on how to respond to a natural disaster, said Maj Kevin A. Onan, commander of the 996th ASMC.

The exercise is designed to simulate a catastrophic earthquake and create a training environment which will help prepare the state in their emergency responsiveness.

The 996th will be working in conjunction with the Department of Emergency Management Affairs as well as the health and human services of Alaska, said Onan. The unit will also work with local agencies and hospitals to take care of casualties and patients after a simulated earthquake, he said.

The training exercise will fall on the 50th anniversary of The Great Alaska earthquake of 1964, which was the second largest earthquake in the world.

“This is a combination exercise where we can take everything we’ve done in the last four years, building up to this and go up to simulate a deployment type situation of a natural disaster, which is what the focus will be on, so it will be in a civilian operation rather than a combat operation,” said 1st Sgt. Terry H. Thompson, senior noncommissioned officer for the 996th.

“For the 996th, this is a very real mission because for the state, we are the single area support medical company for the Army National Guard and we would be called on if there was any type of natural disaster,” said Onan.

The unit which is comprised of nearly 48 soldiers, will include medics, physician assistants, doctors, dentists.

• Date Taken: 01.11.2014
• Date Posted: 01.12.2014 20:44
• Story ID: 119073
• Location: TEMPE, AZ, US