Into the Hotzone: 287th MAC conducts urban search and rescue training

Photo By 2nd Lt. Jarvis Mace | 287th Mobility Augmentation Company Sgt. James Christopher Hill secures a training mannequin in a simulated tunnel during an urban search and rescue exercise at the Public Safety Training Facility in Meridian, Miss., Sept. 27, 2020. The urban search and rescue exercise required the 287th to be proficient in rope and confined space rescue while under hazardous conditions. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Cdt. Jarvis Mace)  

MERIDIAN, MS, UNITED STATES

10.02.2020

Courtesy Story

102d Public Affairs Detachment

MERIDIAN, Miss. - Soldiers with the 287th Mobility Augmentation Company, MSARNG, conducted urban search and rescue training from Sept. 26-27 at the Public Safety Training Facility in Meridian, Miss in order to stay prepared for any contingency they may face. The Mississippi Army National Guard remains “always ready, always there,” by implementing training exercises to keep Soldiers proficient in their tasks.

“Our job is to go in and mitigate any hazards and gain access to the victims,” said Capt. Matthew Burt, officer in charge of the urban search and rescue team. “We had 10 victims in this scenario and we conducted rescues using our machinery and equipment in confined spaces."

The exercise required teams to work under hazardous conditions while adding more obstacles to overcome throughout the rescues.

“The main challenge is doing these rescue mission operations in a Class-C HAZMAT suit in the Mississippi heat,” said Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mitchell, noncommissioned officer in charge of the search and rescue teams. “They can only spend anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes down in the “hot zone” before they need to come out and rotate teams.”

Soldiers within the company are attached to the Army’s Command and Control Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Response Element, a force comprised of 1,500 Reserve and National Guardsmen that possesses search and extraction, mass decontamination, and medical triage capabilities.

This dynamic exercise prepares the Soldiers to respond to disasters and emergency situations both in Mississippi and across the nation.

• Date Taken: 10.02.2020
• Date Posted: 10.06.2020 13:40
• Story ID: 380179
• Location: MERIDIAN, MS, US