CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, New York -Seven hundred and twenty-two members of the New York National Guard’s New York City security force tested their ability to deploy outside the city during emergency response drills held from September 15 to October 16 at Camp Smith Training Center near Peekskill.
The Soldiers and Airmen who serve in Joint Task Force Empire Shield, a state active-duty force which patrols key transportation hubs in New York, were taking part in an Emergency Deployment and Readiness Exercise, or EDRE.
According to Lt. Col. Andrew Prior, the exercise was meant to prepare the members of the task force, known as JTF-ES, to conduct missions they aren’t normally tasked with, while also testing individual skills. To accomplish this, EDRE had three goals, according to Prior: • Reinforce the skills JTF-ES members were taught when they joined the task force. • Prepare company and staff leaders to operate independently during a statewide response. • Prepare JTF-ES for missions outside of their normal NYC based, security oriented operations.
JTFES is organized with a headquarters and five line companies. Each company’s EDRE was a three-day deployment to Camp Smith which began with little warning, mirroring how real crises unfold, Prior said.
The exercise scenario was a powerful hurricane that affected a New York Community. Service members received an alert notification to report to their company areas, upon arrival they began an 18 hour continuous mission. The scenario pushed Soldiers and Airmen to confront multiple incidents happening at once such as simulated flooding, disrupted supply routes, power loss, food shortages, logistics security, medical emergencies and civil unrest.
Company and platoon leadership established and maintained mission command while receiving injects from simulated municipal leaders. They also continuously battle tracked and conducted reporting to JTF-ES’s TOC at Ft. Hamilton, Brooklyn.
Role players acted as displaced residents, local officials, and anxious civilians, challenging Service members to balance tactical decision making with empathy and communication. The exercise was not only about reacting to danger, but also about learning how to serve people at their most vulnerable, Prior said.
After the conclusion of the first day’s scenario based training, The second and third days were focused on individual proficiency.
Each member qualified with the M17 service pistol and attended classes designed to reinforce the skills needed for both civil support and security operations.
Army Guard Staff Sgt. Reagan Reid, a member of the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, said the training was valuable. “This EDRE cycle left me wanting to be more proficient in carrying out my daily duties to the community”, he said. “It gave me real insight into how to respond and assist during a real-world emergency”, Reid added.
Air Guard Staff Sgt. David Romano, a member of the 106th Rescue Wing, said the exercise helped to broaden his understanding of JTF-ES’ mission. “When we’re at the airports, we’re focused on security”, he explained.
“Here we learned how that same discipline applies when people are relying on you for safety, food, or direction after a disaster”.
Echo Company, which conducts force protection for Camp Smith Training Site and Joint Force Headquarters, teamed up with the Headquarters Company to focus on command and control according to Lt. Col. Stephen Totter. Headquarters and Echo companies set up a mobile command trailer, coordinated communication networks, and adjusted operations orders for the coming year. Prior noted that these tasks demanded precision and patience.
Army Staff Sgt. Brandon DeJesus, a member of Camp Smith Training Site and one of the JTF-ES evaluators stated that “EDRE showcased JTF-ES’ strength by demonstrating that a unified training philosophy and commitment to training directly elevates readiness for real-world missions.”
DeJesus and his team of evaluators trained 10 Sergeants from Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta companies for approximately two weeks prior to the exercise in responses to medical emergencies, protecting the community, and operating vehicle traffic checkpoints.
The Camp Smith environment offered a mix of wooded terrain, open fields, and unused buildings that allowed JTF-ES to stage vehicle convoys, simulate ravaged towns, and set up mock distribution centers.
The exercise helped to confirm existing strengths and identified areas for continued refinement, reinforcing JTFES’ mission to respond to a wide range of operations when called upon, Prior said.
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Leon Mabra