Task Force 51 Rehearses for Disaster

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Shelman Spencer | Staff members assigned to Task Force 51, U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) conduct individual and team training during a staff training exercise at the Rudder Reserve Center, 6 – 10 February. Soldiers and civilians assigned to TF-51, U.S. Army North (Fifth Army), spent the week conducting a key exercise to strengthen the foundation of their mission. The mission of TF-51 is Army North’s contingency command post and conducts a Defense Support of Civil Authority (DSCA), homeland defense and theater security cooperation in order to promote the defense and security of the United States.  

FORT SAM HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES

02.09.2017

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Shelman Spencer 

U.S. Army North

FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS – Soldiers and civilians assigned to Task Force 51, U.S. Army North (Fifth Army), spent the week conducting a key exercise to strengthen the foundation of their mission at the Rudder Reserve Center, 6 – 10 February.

TF-51 is Army North’s contingency command post and conducts a Defense Support of Civil Authority (DSCA), homeland defense and theater security cooperation in order to promote the defense and security of the United States.

Many organizations and agencies come together in a unity of effort when disaster strikes in the U.S. The planning and rehearsals are important to ensure everyone understands the mission and capabilities.

“There is no time to be at the party and just now rehearsing because it’s for the American people, it’s for our people, our communities, our citizens,” said Lt. Col. Kirsten F. Swanson, G3 and Deputy Chief of Staff, TF-51, Army North (Fifth Army). “To best understand that we have to come and readdress that together, even though were in different uniforms that say U.S. Army or U.S. Navy or U.S. Air Force or civilian. We have to come together and have that conversation and what it means to operate in our own country.”

Communication is key for true success of the mission and to get assets where they are needed for the American people. Matt Hopper, a Telecommunications Specialist for Army North’s Sentinel mobile communications platforms makes that happen.

“With our capabilities we can come in and set up within just a few hours, from move in to full operations is pretty fast, said Hopper. “We can push data to customers within 15 to 30 minutes of arriving and then we can layer it out and have a fully functioning command post.”

Sgt. 1st Class Rashida N. Williams, a Military Police Officer who is the noncommission officer in charge for current operations and serves as the Joint Operations Center NCOIC forward when Task Force-51 is called on to respond and support a disaster effected area.

TF-51 coordinates federal response when requested by the state where the disaster occurred. The federal forces and equipment augment the state’s national guard and other agencies.

“We are able to come out in the event of a natural disaster. They don’t always have the capacity with regards to air support, search and rescue and those assets that are needed. Our job as Task Force 51 is to command and coordinate those Title 10 assets coming in, we can alleviate those pressures on the state,” said Williams. “We are here to support and provide timely and life saving measures with active duty personnel.”

This exercise was a prelude to an exercise next month in Atlanta. In that scenario, local, state, federal and DoD agencies will come together to work out issues that surround hurricanes disaster and relief along the eastern coast line.

“It’s all about Americans helping Americans. The importance of the job is that we have the best clientele in the world – our own citizens of our country,” Hopper says.


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• Date Taken: 02.09.2017
• Date Posted: 02.13.2017 11:06
• Story ID: 223380
• Location: FORT SAM HOUSTON, TX, US