NAS Key West conducts joint training with city, county

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas Huynh | 230215-N-IW125-1098 KEY WEST, Fla. (Feb. 15, 2023) U.S. Navy Security Forces along with local law enforcement respond to a simulated active shooter as part of Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 2023 at Naval Air Station Key West’s Boca Chica Field in Key West, Fla. Feb. 15, 2023. Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 2023 is a two-part, anti-terrorism force protection exercise that is being conducted nationwide on Navy installations, Feb. 6-17. The annual exercise is not in response to any specific threat, but is used to evaluate the readiness of fleet and installation security programs. Naval Air Station Key West is the state-of-the-art facility for combat fighter aircraft of all military services, provides world-class pierside support to U.S. and foreign naval vessels, and is the premier training center for surface and subsurface military operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nicholas V. Huynh)  

KEY WEST, FL, UNITED STATES

02.16.2023

Story by Danette Baso Silvers 

Naval Air Station Key West

Naval Air Station Key West security forces and first responders teamed up with Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and City of Key West Police Department for a joint-training exercise on Boca Chica Field Feb. 15, 2023.

The joint training was a part the Navy’s annual force protection Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 2023. Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 23 is a two-week training conducted on all Navy installations in the continental U.S.

“We have an outstanding working relationship with Monroe County and the City of Key West,” said NAS Key West Commanding Officer Capt. Beth Regoli. “This exercise was a fantastic opportunity for our team to work with the Sheriff’s Office and Key West Police using realistic scenarios, ensuring effective collaboration in our ability respond to changing and dynamic threats at all times.”

During the two-week event, NAS Key West members test information dissemination, individual response plans, security force responses, and exercise their ability to coordinate with local emergency responders and the community.

“The way we train is the way we fight,” Regoli said. “Protection of our people has been, and will continue to be, my top priority. To accomplish that, training must be realistic and performed to standard, addressing the constantly evolving security environment in which we live and operate.”

Citadel Shield, which occurs the first week, is the field training exercise portion. Solid Curtain occurs the following week and is the command post exercise. This two-part approach was designed to enhance the readiness of Navy security forces and ensure seamless interoperability among the commands, other services and agency partners in order to protect life, equipment and facilities.

Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 23 is a regularly scheduled exercise, not held in response to any specific threat.

• Date Taken: 02.16.2023
• Date Posted: 02.16.2023 12:15
• Story ID: 438639
• Location: KEY WEST, FL, US