Photo By Master Sgt. Daniel Griego | In this image released by the Texas Military Force, NGB representatives conduct a side...... read more read more
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The National Guard Bureau met with five newly certified homeland response forces and five soon-to-be validated homeland response forces to discuss lessons learned from the first year of evaluations.
To combat the increasing threats of mass-casualty incidents within the United States, the Department of Defense directed the National Guard Bureau to stand up 10 Homeland Response forces. Now halfway through the process of full HRF certification, the bureau is taking the lessons learned from its first year of evaluations and applying them to the remaining five FEMA regions.
The Regional Response Plan Table Top Exercise, held Jan. 31 - Feb. 2 in San Antonio, Texas, featured representatives from the 10 National Guard units selected to host their respective FEMA region’s Homeland Response Force mission.
“We envisioned allowing all the HRF commanders, some of the CST commanders and the CERFP commanders to be able to come down to Texas and talk about issues and circumstances that would help all of them fulfill their mission in a more efficient and effective manner,” said Air Force Col. Anthony Kissik, division chief for NGB Exercises & Lessons Learned.
The intent of these National Guard assets is to maintain a ready force capable of engaging chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive incidents. The overall CBRNE enterprise includes 10 Homeland Response forces, 17 CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Packages and 57 Civil Support Teams, all working in concert together in the event of a catastrophe. Currently validated states include Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio and Washington.
“It’s very important that folks know that this capability is out there,” said Air Force Col. Pete Rabinowitch, Chief of NGB’s Joint Training Division. “It is a [state] asset that’s controlled by the governor, but can be called in to help when there’s a major incident out there and be part of a response the includes [federal] active forces.”
Discussion points included communication processes between military and civilian agencies, structuring the HRF elements for efficient coverage and a rehearsal of concept drill based on three simultaneous response incidents.
“The plan is to take the information, the lessons learned, and then see how we can go about getting better from year to year,” said Lt. Col. Les Edwards, Jr., commander for Texas’ 6th CERFP. “We’re really trying to look at standardization. Each state is different. If there’s a major event, really the governor’s going to get involved, along with the adjutant generals.”
With conferences like these, those units still scheduled to validate their Homeland Response Force missions will have a much greater arsenal of resources at their disposal to service their region and their communities.
“We have a CBRNE enterprise,” said Kissik, “that is a part of a much larger response to a national catastrophe and the harder we work at it and the more we communicate, the more refined and more efficient we become.”
| Date Taken: | 01.31.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 02.08.2012 13:32 |
| Story ID: | 83535 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 105 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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