Photo By Staff Sgt. Hannah Clifton | An Indiana National Guardsman, a ZAKA volunteer and a member of Indiana Task Force One...... read more read more
Story by Pfc. Hannah Clifton
BUTLERVILLE, Ind. - At 12:21 p.m. on June 23, a simulated detonation bellowed though the air over the rubble-lined streets of the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in southern Indiana. Indiana National Guardsmen from the 81st Troop Command, personnel from the Israeli Home Front Command, National Rescue Unit, guardsmen from Colorado, West Virginia and Illinois, as well as civilian agencies from Indiana Task Force 1, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, and local fire departments, joined forces to train for exercise United Front 2015 at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, June 22-24.
The United Front exercise is an ongoing military Small Unit Exchange Exercise between the Israeli Home Front Command, National Rescue Unit and the Indiana National Guard’s 19th CBRN Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP). This partnership began in 2012 and provides reciprocal support between Indiana and Israel. In the past, Israeli HFC has hosted training operations where Indiana Guardsmen conducted similar exercises in Israel with a similar focus on disaster response.
The operation's mission was to provide response to a mock 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Men and women began to diligently perform search and rescue tasks as smoke rose from several destroyed buildings. By conducting search and extraction drills and providing on-site medical treatment to live role-players, participants were able to utilize the necessary skills that could save lives during a natural or man-made disaster. While learning how to react during a disaster is important, sharing innovative ideas and building new relationships are the keys to effective emergency response.
"We have such a wide variety of experiences. We have folks that have been doing this for two months, we've got Israelis that have been doing this for 15 years," stated Maj. William M. Poag, the operations officer of CERFP. "That range of experience levels and the ability to bring them all together in the combined squads so they can all learn from each other, that’s probably the best thing."
Lt. Col. Kelly S. Hammond, the battalion commander of the Indiana National Guard’s 19th CERFP, pointed out that it is a small circle of people who do this mission. “If we deploy, these are the people we will be working with.”
"It builds that relationship, it builds trust," said Hammond. "We can do what they do. And they know that we can come in and help them."
International partners like the humanitarian organization ZAKA brought increased knowledge to the exercise, as volunteers have been seen among the first responders at the Tsunami in Japan, Hurricane Katrina, the Columbia space shuttle disaster, the Haiti earthquake, and terror attacks in Turkey, Mombasa, Bulgaria and many more.
"The relationship building and what we actually take out of it is what gives us more experience," said Spc. Cameron S. Arrington, a CBRN specialist with the 19th CERFP, Indiana National Guard. "We are helping each other so that when the real world situations happen, we are more prepared than we ever would be, because our main goal is to save as many lives as possible."
While the 81st Troop Command and their counterparts extract “victims" out of the Muscatatuck rubble, their interaction contributes to international unity and functionality.
“It’s training for our own sake,” said Arrington. “We know we go in and do something great when we leave.”
| Date Taken: | 06.24.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.25.2015 19:30 |
| Story ID: | 168214 |
| Location: | BUTLERVILLE, IN, US |
| Web Views: | 159 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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