Arnold AFB Fire and Emergency Services participates in National Guard response exercise Published June 5, 2025 By Bradley Hicks AEDC Public Affairs ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. - The Tennessee National Guard recently conducted disaster response exercises to bolster readiness, response and interoperability with federal, state and local agencies. A portion of the exercise played out at Arnold Air Force Base, where Guardsmen with the Tennessee National Guard and their partners were assisted by members of the Arnold AFB Fire and Emergency Services team. The effort was a component of a broader response exercise known as Vigilant Guard. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau, Vigilant Guard, is a national-level disaster response drill carried out by National Guard units throughout the country annually. In Tennessee, Vigilant Guard 2025 exercises were conducted May 12-18 by the Tennessee Department of Military in conjunction with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and more than 30 partnering agencies. According to the Tennessee Department of Military, these exercises allowed National Guardsmen from Tennessee, along with Guardsmen from Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, North Dakota and Wyoming, the “ability to command a statewide response to a major disaster in coordination with the Tennessee and Mississippi Emergency Management Agencies.” “These exercises, where we operate jointly with various emergency responders, are crucial to our organization’s readiness,” Maj. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee Adjutant General, stated in a May 7 release issued by the Tennessee Department of Military. “The more we work alongside one another, the more we fine-tune our policies and procedures. Building these relationships are vital to our effectiveness, and continuing to practice what we do will make all of us better when it’s time to respond to the real thing.” This year’s exercise scenario was based on a 7.5 magnitude earthquake occurring along the New Madrid Seismic Zone near Tipton County, Tenn. According to the Tennessee Department of Military, those participating in the exercise were tasked with working together to respond to numerous situations and conduct search and rescue, critical site security, and infrastructure failure response. During the exercise, the Tennessee Air National Guard employed an MQ-9 Reaper, an unmanned aircraft system, which was flown over exercise sites to perform hypothetical damage assessments and route reconnaissance. Arnold AFB was involved in the portion of Vigilant Guard 2025 focused on airfield management and fuel transfer missions. On May 14, a KC-135 Stratotanker from the Tennessee Air National Guard 134th Air Refueling Wing stationed at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard base in Knoxville conducted aerial refueling with a C-17 Globemaster III from the Tennessee Air National Guard 164th Airlift Wing stationed at Memphis Air National Guard Base in Memphis. After refueling, the C-17 was landed at the Arnold AFB airfield with air traffic control provided by Tennessee Army National Guard 1st Battalion, 107th Aviation Regiment. Guardsmen from the Tennessee National Guard, which is comprised of both the Tennessee Army National Guard and Tennessee Air National Guard, were joined at Arnold by Guardsmen from the North Dakota National Guard as fuel was then transferred from the C-17 to a Tennessee Army National Guard Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. This fuel truck then transported and transferred fuel to the MQ-9 parked on the Arnold AFB airstrip. “The Specialized Fueling Operation we conducted at Arnold Air Force Base demonstrated the capability to rapidly deliver fuel to an inaccessible forward location during a domestic crisis,” said Col. Robert Underwood, director of operations for the Tennessee Air National Guard. “This leverages and allows us to practice a combat capability skillset that may be needed for rapid employment of military assets worldwide. This exercise is a perfect example of how the Air and Army National Guard’s wartime readiness can benefit the citizens of our states during a domestic operations scenario.” Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting crews from Arnold FES were on hand to provide “ready standby” for aircraft arrival and departure in support the exercise, fully prepared to respond if needed. “The exercise was a perfect opportunity for Fire and Emergency Services members to expand their knowledge and skills while supporting warfighters from multiple organizations,” said Arnold AFB FES Chief Daryle Lopes. “That’s our mission and we work hard to ensure we’re always ready to perform it.” FES brought fire protection and EMS capabilities to the airfield for the arrival of aircraft, remained ready during fuel transfer operations and maintained their posture for the departure of aircraft. Lopes said the deployment of Arnold FES ARFF assets to the airfield in advance reduces response time from the station and increases life safety for aircrews. Arnold FES crews present to support the Vigilant Guard exercise also received hands-on familiarization with the MQ-9 from the operations and maintenance crew on the scene. “Many of our firefighters had never seen an MQ-9 up close, so the ability to look, touch and talk about critical safety considerations was extremely valuable training for us,” Lopes said. Along with Arnold AFB FES, other partnering agencies for exercises conducted across the state included the U.S. Coast Guard, Shelby County Emergency Management Agency and Nashville Fire Department’s Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, according to the Tennessee Department of Military. Training sites include the Cleeces Ferry Boat Ramp in Nashville, Paris Landing State Park, Baptist Memorial Hospital in Union City and the Millington-Memphis Airport.