Army North, First Army team up for Vibrant Response 13

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Keith Anderson | Lt. Col. Thomas Case (bottom right), exercise branch chief, First Army Division East, observes, Aug. 2, as Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Gibson, site manager, 178th Engineer Company, 46th Engineer Battalion, 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Polk, La., conducts a pre-mission brief before the Soldiers began a search and extraction mission in a partially-collapsed parking garage. The mission was part of Vibrant Response 13, a major incident exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by Army North. First Army, based at Rock Island, Ill., has teamed up with U.S. Army North, based at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to train and mentor more than 9,000 service members and civilians in responding to natural or man-made disasters in the exercise from July 26-Aug. 13 in locations throughout southern Indiana and northern Kentucky.  

MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, IN, UNITED STATES

08.03.2012

Story by Staff Sgt. Keith Anderson 

U.S. Army North

MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, Ind. — U.S. Army North and First Army have teamed up to train and mentor more than 9,000 service members and civilians in responding to natural or man-made disasters in a major incident exercise from July 26-Aug. 13 in locations throughout southern Indiana and northern Kentucky.

Members of First Army, based at Rock Island, Ill., are joining the efforts of their comrades from U.S. Army North, based at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, for Vibrant Response 13, an exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by Army North, where local, state and federal forces provide lifesaving and life-sustaining care after a simulated 10-kiloton nuclear detonation in a major Midwestern city.

Each command brings different strengths to the exercise.

“In First Army, we are trainers – first and foremost,” said Col. John Dunleavy, commander, 205th Infantry Brigade, First Army Division East. Dunleavy serves as the senior training mentor for a group of First Army observer controllers at Vibrant Response.

“That experience and skill set is important in the tasks we are conducting here to support Vibrant Response 13,” said Dunleavy. “First Army pulls soldiers from a vast number of fields – soldiers who have a myriad of knowledge and experience that they bring with them. Their skills afford First Army the ability to offer the units we train the most up-to-date and relevant feedback.”

Sgt. 1st Class Don Gandy, an observer controller from First Army from the 177th Armored Brigade, Camp Shelby, Miss., was working with Fort Polk, La., based soldiers, Aug. 2, at MUTC as they shored and braced a partially-collapsed parking garage, and cut into vehicles to rescue “survivors.”

Gandy, who returned from his fifth deployment in March 2012 from the Paktika province in Afghanistan, said he volunteered to serve as an observer controller at Army North’s Vibrant Response 13 because he thought he might be able to share some of his experiences.

“I have been able to use what I know to train and mentor, but I am also learning,” said Gandy. “Supporting civil authorities in a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear response enterprise is a whole different ballgame from conducting operations in Afghanistan.”

Soldiers from the 178th Engineer Company, 46th Engineer Battalion, 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, conducted multiple missions at MUTC, Aug. 2, to search underground tunnels, to rescue civilians from a collapsed building and to evacuate those in need of medical care to nearby medical facilities.

“I tell you, I was a part of Hurricane Katrina and to see the devastation makes you appreciate the training that these guys are doing,” said Gandy.

Lt. Col. Melba Hernandez, an Army North coordinator to First Army’s Operation Center for its observer controllers in the exercise, said her job has been easy because of the experience and professionalism of the seasoned trainers from First Army.

“I just make sure they’re on track with all the missions and have coverage,” said Hernandez. “It’s been smooth – they know what they’re doing.”

The partnership between First Army and Army North benefits both units, said Dunleavy.

“There is a great tradition in our Army of one soldier sharpening another,” he said. “This is just another example of that.”

First Army, commanded by Lt. Gen. Mick Bednarek, advises, assists and trains Reserve Component units during pre-mobilization periods; conducts mobilization, training support, readiness validation and deployment of alerted forces; executes demobilization of RC forces; and provides trained and ready forces in support of the Army Force Generation model. As directed, First Army provides training to joint, combined, interagency and active Army forces.

Army North (Fifth Army), commanded by Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV, provides military support to the nation’s law enforcement agencies and supports the primary federal agency when conducting defense support to civil authorities. Army North also works closely with the Canadian, Mexican and The Bahamas militaries in support of theater security cooperation to secure the land approaches to the homeland.

• Date Taken: 08.03.2012
• Date Posted: 08.03.2012 16:04
• Story ID: 92648
• Location: MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, IN, US