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The question is never if there will ever be another hurricane but when will there be another hurricane? As such, the Virgin Islands National Guard continues to train and prepare for when that time comes. September’s individual duty training was no different.
During IDT Sept. 6 – 8, 2019 at the Estate Bethlehem Compound the VING trained in an integrated staff exercise which focused on hurricane relief operations in preparation for anticipated hurricane relief support through November 2019.
The three-day exercise, split into several phases, focused on planning and preparation for an anticipated hurricane approaching the territory, establishing immediate response teams and deploying teams for points of distribution.
“We got off to a rocky start, but I think this was a really good learning experience,” said Capt. Trisha Lawrence, battle captain for Task Force Alpha. “Not only for me but also for my Soldiers.”
As part of the exercise, several VI government agencies were invited to participate in a rehearsal of concept drill and give information on their capabilities and duties in the event of a hurricane.
The agencies present were the Virgin Islands Police Department, Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency, Department of Public Works, Department of Human Services, Department of Health, Virgin Islands Fire Services, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“If there is something you need from us don’t hesitate to ask and see what we can do because our mission is so much bigger,” said Kevin Cobb, FEMA's incident management assistance teams logistics chief. “I’m happy this exercise happening because we can have conversations on what we can do and what we might not be able to do to assist. I want to thank you guys for being here and doing this because I know my job would be 100 times harder if you guys were not here to help.”
The Virgin Islands National Guard is prepared to support local authorities, helping to facilitate a unified and rapid response. This exercise will demonstrate our response efforts and substantiate that we are a ready, reliable and responsive force trained to protect our families, our community and our Nation.
| Date Taken: | 09.08.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2019 13:39 |
| Story ID: | 340165 |
| Location: | ST. CROIX, VI |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, VING conducts integrated staff exercise during Sept. IDT, by SGT Leona Hendrickson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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