DTRA/SCC participates in Ukraine 15 consequence management exercise

FORT BELVOIR, VA, UNITED STATES

09.25.2015

Story by Jessica Lewis 

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

FORT BELVOIR, Va. – DTRA/SCC was part of exercise Ukraine 15 held near L’viv, Ukraine, Sept. 21-24, 2015. This consequence management, field training exercise was jointly organized by the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and Ukraine, the hosting nation. Along with Ukraine, over 30 other partner nations participated in the event. The exercise consisted of a training program, a command post exercise and an all-hazard field training exercise. The exercise scenario was based on a mine collapse and subsequent chemical and radiological incidents, as well as transportation accidents near the city of L’viv, a major population center of the country.

Joining Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Ukraine 15 was DTRA/SCC Director Mr. Kenneth Myers, who commented on his agency’s involvement by saying “DTRA is very proud to be assisting the EADRCC and the country of Ukraine as part of this exercise. The expertise we provide will heighten the awareness of the participants and enhance the realism of the scenarios. We want to assist in the training program here to ensure that the Ukraine State Emergency Service is well prepared to deal with all types of disaster scenarios, and promote interoperability between NATO Allies and partner nations.”

DTRA/SCC is supporting EUCOM and NATO by assisting in exercise planning and CBRN military and civilian assistance analysis and technical assistance with foreign civilian agencies, where most first responders and hazardous material teams reside. The overall exercise objective is to assist national authorities in building resilience and strengthening their capabilities to manage civil emergencies. Additionally, the exercise aims to ensure the international response community is interoperable and capable of coordinating incident management operations. Ten Agency individuals will participate in the exercise, providing expertise in exercise development and control, emergency management planning, CBRNE scenario design and public communications.

DTRA is the U.S. Department of Defense’s official Combat Support Agency for countering weapons of mass destruction, addressing the entire spectrum of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high yield explosive threats. DTRA’s programs include basic science research and development, operational support to U.S. warfighters on the front line, and an in-house WMD think tank that aims to anticipate and mitigate future threats long before they have a chance to harm the United States and our allies. SCC-WMD, the U.S. Strategic Command Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction, synchronizes Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction efforts across our military’s geographic commands and leverages the people, programs and interagency relationships of DTRA at a strategic level. We work with the military services, other elements of the United States government, and countries across the planet on counter proliferation, nonproliferation and WMD reduction issues with one goal in mind: making the world safer.

• Date Taken: 09.25.2015
• Date Posted: 09.25.2015 09:05
• Story ID: 177189
• Location: FORT BELVOIR, VA, US