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STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Newburgh, N.Y.-- 580 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from New York and New Jersey spent four days honing their emergency response skills during and exercise that took place in three locations in New York and Connecticut April 12-15.
The FEMA Region II Homeland Response Force, or HRF, validated its ability to respond to a chemical, biological or radiological attack during a round-the-clock drill conducted in Troy, N.Y., Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y. and Camp Hartel in Windsor Locks, CT.
“Each day we executed the mission we improved our skill sets and worked strongly together as a team,” said Brig. Gen. Joseph Biehler, the assistant division commander for maneuver for the 42nd Infantry Division and the commander of the HRF. “The Soldiers from the Division had their nose to the grind stone, they were ready and prepared to execute this mission,” he added.
The exercise scenario was built around a terrorist attack on New York City’s traffic tunnels in which they were contaminated with chemical and biological agents. One attack was followed by another during the exercise.
The exercise tested the ability of the command posts and the Soldiers and Airmen responding on the ground around the clock.
The HRF command post established operations at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y. The hands-on training for recovery, decontamination and medical teams took part at Camp Hartnel, a Connecticut National Guard facility in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
HRF logistics managers provided support from 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters in Troy, N.Y.
The Federal Emergency Management Region II Homeland Response Force (HRF) is one of ten established by the Department of Defense to serve as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High Explosive (CBRNE) consequence management response force. There is one HRF for each FEMA region.
The FEMA Region II force is comprised mainly of forces from the New York and New Jersey National Guards with small elements from the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico available as needed.
The 10 HRFs align with each Federal Emergency Management Agency region to allow for closer and more familiar contact with civilian responders.
The HRF is the focal point for increasing response flexibility and lifesaving efforts in support of local authorities after a CBRNE incident in the states supported by FEMA Region 2, Biehler said.
The 42nd Infantry Division has been the headquarters element of the FEMA Region II HRF since 2014.
“Each year the division staff evolves and we gain experience, knowledge and confidence,” said Sgt. Major Matthew Gutzwiller, Sergeant Major of the HRF command and control cell.
“Throughout the years of us executing the HRF, we have developed more experienced service members to teach and mentor our Soldiers that are new to the division. We had a good amount of experience and inexperienced Soldiers that were involved in the exercise,” Gutzwiller, added.
While the focus of the exercise is on domestic response, the training helps division Soldiers exercise the skills they would need overseas, he emphasized.
“This was the first time I have ever been involved in a HRF, said Spec. Fuad Yunis, one of the division’s human resource specialists. “It was a great learning experience. I am fortunate that I could rely on my NCOs to learn and develop as a leader.”
The major units that comprise the HRF include:
• The 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters, based in Troy, N.Y. provides to overall command and control of the organization;
• The 104th Military Police Battalion Headquarters, based in Kingston, N.Y provides command on site;
• The 1156th Engineer Company, located in Kingston, N.Y. provides engineers trained for the extraction and evacuation of casualties;
• The 222nd Chemical Company, based at Fort Hamilton, N.Y., operates the decontamination element;
• The 107th Airlift Wing, based at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, N.Y. operates operate high-tech satellite communications;
• And the 105th Airlift Wing, located at Stewart Air National Guard Base, in Newburgh, N.Y., provides medical support.
| Date Taken: | 04.14.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2018 15:40 |
| Story ID: | 273405 |
| Location: | STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE , NY, US |
| Web Views: | 261 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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