By Steven Hoover
CAMP ZAMA, Japan – United States Army Garrison Japan personnel will conduct an annual Full Scale Exercise from Aug. 20-24 to increase their proficiency in response and recovery to emergency all-hazards events.
Besides Camp Zama, exercise activities will take place at Sagamihara Family Housing Area, Sagami General Depot and Yokohama North Dock.
The exercise will focus on contingency operations and active-threat scenarios that require collective installation-level response.
Installation Emergency Manager Will Luna said it’s better to have a “not if, but when” mindset when it comes to emergencies.
“We understand that we must be prepared to respond and recover from a major disaster at a moment’s notice,” Luna said. “By integrating our plans across multiple agencies and rigorously exercising those plans on a continuous basis, we increase our ability to save lives, protect infrastructure and ensure mission continuity.”
USAG Japan will comply with National Incident Management System (NIMS) standards, taking into account the unique overseas environment.
Local host nation and sister service partners will be engaged to the maximum extent possible.
The goal is to improve emergency preparation, mitigation, protection, response and recovery processes and procedures.
“This year’s exercise is different in that we have been selected as the first Army installation in the Pacific to undergo the newly updated Installation Management Command exercise and evaluation process,” Luna said. “We will host evaluators from across the Pacific who have undergone intensive training to ensure our exercise meets the new FEMA and U.S. Army standards.”
Residents are advised of possible temporary traffic delays and increased vehicle traffic during the exercise. Also, mass warning and notification systems, to include computer pop-ups and telephonic notification, may be used.
All exercise message/instructions will be preceded and followed by “EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE.” For the most current information, be sure to monitor the USAG Japan Facebook Page at: https://www.facebook.com/USAGJ/.
“The Full Scale Exercise will help us ensure that our personnel have the processes, preparation, tools and training to succeed in emergency response situations,” said Col. Phillip K. Gage, USAG Japan garrison commander. “To do that, we must use realistic, scenario-based training to improve our emergency response practices. We must also incorporate our sister services, local government, and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force; they are crucial to our emergency response efforts.”