Photo By Staff Sgt. Kayla Morris | U.S. Army Spc. Quinton Koch, a wheeled vehicle recovery operator of the Mitchell-based...... read more read more
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Units of the 139th Brigade Support Battalion trained alongside several public safety agencies in preparation for disaster response in communities throughout eastern South Dakota, March 31-April 2.
The training exercise was a joint disaster response operation to help the South Dakota National Guard and local agencies learn how to work better together when responding to emergencies.
Working with the SDNG in the multi-agency training included city officials from Clear Lake, Redfield and Salem and emergency management officials from Deuel, Spink and McCook counties.
“Our goal was to focus our field training exercise around working with local civilian authorities, emergency managers and city officials to get some experience in responding to a natural disaster or state emergency,” said Lt. Col. Jason Kettwig, 139th commander. “We do a battalion FTX every year, but this is the first exercise that has ever been focused on emergency management and our state mission.”
The disaster training not only focuses on honing emergency response tasks and skills, but also community engagement and coordination.
“The most important thing that this exercise does is build the relationship between the National Guard and local agencies,” said Maj. Rebecca Trygstad, 139th administrative officer. “It allows us to both train on the same mission, talk through possible scenarios and do some of the planning prior to an actual state active-duty mission occurring.”
The training in Salem with Company B of the 139th focused on a simulated Humvee rollover with vehicle recovery that featured mannequins portraying casualties. This helped the agencies understand what it would be like to respond in real-life situations.
“Our scenario was that a tornado went through the Salem area and Co. B would respond and provide recovery support to McCook County and the city of Salem,” said Staff Sgt. Dennis Schley, Co. B training NCO. “The event allowed us to conduct a recovery operation with a rolled-over vehicle in the ditch, with casualties. Learning how to work together as an organization, with the command and control, allows us to know where our part is in an event like this.”
Vehicle recovery operators from Co. B worked hand-in-hand with the McCook County Emergency Responders to evaluate the scene and determine a safe course of action to assist the casualties as well as recover the overturned vehicle.
“It’s good to train with the local agencies so that we are a part of the community,” said Spc. Quinton Koch, Co. B vehicle recovery operator. “It’s good to have the additional support as well. Sometimes your team can get spread out and when you have the additional support from civilian agencies, it helps ease the stress of what is going on.”
Since the 9/11 attacks on America, the SDNG has deployed more than 7,600 Soldiers and Airmen in support of overseas contingency operations, while simultaneously preparing to support local communities in the event of a natural disaster.
“It’s beneficial for our troops to be visible and to understand that these towns appreciate that we are here,” said Kettwig. “It’s important they know that these communities are glad that the National Guard can support an exercise or real-life disaster if it happens here in South Dakota.”
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2017 09:11 |
| Story ID: | 229510 |
| Location: | SALEM, SD, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, SD National Guard, local agencies practice disaster response, by SSG Kayla Morris, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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