Army Reserve unit hosts disaster-response exercise

Photo By Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris | Soldiers of the Army Reserve’s 1104th Mobilization Support Battalion kick off their staff exercise Aug. 10-12 at the New Jersey National Guard’s Joint Training and Training Development Center on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The purpose of the STAFFEX was to simulate providing Defense Support of Civil Authorities in coordination with members of U.S. Army North, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Army Reserve Command’s Homeland Operations Division, the National Guard and the Joint Base Logistics Readiness Squadron.  

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, UNITED STATES

08.12.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris 

99th Readiness Division

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. - Soldiers of the Army Reserve’s 1104th Mobilization Support Battalion held a staff exercise Aug. 10-12 at the New Jersey National Guard’s Joint Training and Training Development Center on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

The purpose of the STAFFEX was to simulate providing Defense Support of Civil Authorities in coordination with members of U.S. Army North, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Army Reserve Command’s Homeland Operations Division, the National Guard and the Joint Base Logistics Readiness Squadron.

“This is providing a great opportunity for not only those organizations to know what the 1104th’s capabilities are, but also for the Soldiers of the 1104th to know what resources they would be working with and who they would be working with during a real-world event,” said Lt. Col. Rodney Abrams, 1104th MSB commander.

“The Army's Reserve's relevance to our nation is unquestionable,” added Col. Robert S. Cooley Jr., commander of the Army Reserve’s 1st Mobilization Support Group stationed at Fort Totten, New York. “The DSCA environment provides yet another opportunity to demonstrate the capability, flexibility and responsiveness of the Citizen-Soldiers who can deliver incredible capacity and depth in leadership in this supportive role to civil authorities domestically.”

The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act allowed the Army Reserve to provide disaster relief and emergency management in support of civil authorities, presenting a significant opportunity for the Army Reserve to meet the needs of local communities during times of need. The 1104th’s unique mission set makes it perfectly suited to provide this type of support.

“Because our primary mission was mobilization, we’re familiar with the concepts related to reception, staging and providing life-support/S-1 functions i.e., personnel, billeting, DFAC (Dining Facility), medical – that’s part of what we do as a mobilization support battalion,” explained Sgt. 1st Class Rochelle Chavis, a Soldier in the 1104th’s sister unit, the 1103rd MSB, who served as battle captain and non-commissioned officer in charge of the STAFFEX.

During the STAFFEX, the 1104th improved its technical skills in the application of the Military Decision Making Process for Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration (JRSOI) operations.

“It’s always a good thing to be able to draw from the Reserve, National Guard or full-time (Army) to get a mission done,” said Maj. Kenneth C. Whipkey Jr., assistant director of simulations at the New Jersey National Guard’s JT2DC. “With people getting cut back in the military and the lack of forces, it’s great to have the cross-leveled experience.”

“In an era of further fiscal constraint, we must prepare and, if necessary, act collaboratively with all components – including Active, Guard and Reserve – to bring the right capabilities to the right place at the right time,” Cooley said. “The issue really becomes one of communication and collaboration. The more we can work together and explore issues in a training and planning environment, the better our overall response will be should we need to do this for real.”

• Date Taken: 08.12.2015
• Date Posted: 08.25.2015 15:50
• Story ID: 174226
• Location: JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, US