Vigilant Guard 2015 prepares NC Airmen for emergency response Published March 30, 2015 By Master Sgt. Patricia F. Moran and Staff Sgt. Julianne M. Showalter 145th Public Affairs NEW LONDON, N.C. -- Vigilant Guard Exercise 2015 brought members of the North Carolina Air and Army National Guard, state Division of Emergency Management and North Carolina Forest Service together at the 145th Civil Engineer Squadron Regional Training Site here March 6-8. Vigilant Guard Exercise 2015 was based on a hurricane scenario and provided a training opportunity improving emergency response and coordination between first responders in the region and establish a unified incident command system to manage a Joint Receiving, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration site at the 145th training site. "This is a great opportunity to train our young Airmen and prepare them for a real-world mission." said Lt. Col. Timothy Moran, officer in charge, 145th Civil Engineer Squadron, Regional Training Site. "During this exercise we also work and train with our army counterparts so we can understand each other's capabilities and work stronger and more effectively together." Once a disaster happens manpower is going to be a critical need. When civilian authorities respond to a natural disaster the military may be called in to assist with that response. With this exercise, 145th Civil Engineer Squadron was first on scene. In a real-world emergency, 145th CES will prepare a bed-down area in order to receive and support first responders. Tents are erected, power and water purification equipment are strategically placed and washed out roads are repaired by CE task force using heavy construction equipment. "It's a three state exercise," said Lt. Col. Gregory Goforth, 145th Mission Support Group deputy commander and National Guard incident commander for the exercise. "For the North Carolina piece, we're providing support to the citizens of North Carolina by processing civilian and military personnel and resources centrally to provide relief." Sitting side by side with a Forest Service or state Division Emergency Management counterpart, members of the North Carolina Air National Guard are exercising the effectiveness of the incident command system in a hurricane scenario. "We're learning how to work together in this joint exercise environment," said Master Sgt. Jeffery Harwood, 145th Airlift Wing Comptroller Flight. "I'm learning how we'd do this if something real hit." "We're sitting at the same table and totally integrated," said John Howard, North Carolina Forest Service incident commander. "It's never happened before." The North Carolina Forest Service has utilized the incident command system since the early 1990s to manage the large scale forest fires. The incident command system has now been recognized nation-wide as the primary means of organization for support and relief in any disaster, whether it's a hurricane, earthquake or other type of response. Over the course of the exercise the participants practiced receiving and deploying force packages with an in-processing goal of 45 minutes from arrival at the JRSOI site. A force package could be personnel, supplies, off road vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks, fuel trucks, bull dozers and/or other assets used to provide relief. Responders are checked in and briefed on the scenario, which gives each person a clear picture of what's happening and where they'll be utilized. "If you send folks too much, too little, or too late you've made the problem worse on the people that need help," said Howard. "Organizing it up front at this level allows us to mobilize forces from a central location then pushing them out in time to help. It provides a better service to the people impacted by the storm." Three counties provided personnel and vehicle assets to add realism to the exercise to include Buncombe County, Mecklenburg County and Stanly County. In total, 217 personnel and 45 vehicles were processed through for accountability and deployment to aid relief efforts in this Category 4 hurricane scenario. The scenario is based on destruction caused by the 1989 storm Hurricane Hugo. The full force of the storm struck with winds of 135 to 139 mph, and it made an imprint area of an estimated 600 miles. "In 1989 I was a responder to Hurricane Hugo, and I was responsible for taking a task force of bulldozers down to help clear roads," said Howard. "We didn't have the incident command system we use today so we went down to help without a lot of guidance and safety information. We can now provide that information to the crews." "The biggest take away for the National Guard is learning the incident command system from North Carolina Emergency Management and Forest Service," said Goforth. "They're teaching us and vice versa. It's a true partnership." "This exercise, the big picture, allows us to work together in order to react better together," said Master Sgt. Rebecca Tongen from the 145th Civil Engineer Flight and filling the role of Plans Chief in the exercise. "Now we can respond as an entire community with a communally understood concept." Vigilant Guard 2015 was a great success as it allowed all agencies to hone their skills in a central location. Military and emergency responders can now bring help to the communities in North Carolina or wherever responders are needed.