JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Joint Task Force Civil Support participated in Vibrant Response 14, a major joint field training exercise at various locations in south-east Indiana, including the Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center July 20-27, 2014.
Vibrant Response is the largest, annual Department of Defense confirmation exercise for specialized response forces to validate their capability to execute mission command, perform technical tasks in chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) response and conduct other life-saving missions. JTF-CS was evaluated on mission command, identification and detection of CBRN damage, technical and non-technical search and rescue of casualties, and medical and decontamination procedures.
More than 2,200 Service members and civilians from the military, federal and state agencies participated in this year's exercise, as well as various units from 27 states and territories. Many Joint Base Langley-Eustis units assisted JTF-CS in the preparation, deployment and redeployment for VR 14. The 733rd Mission Support Group provided meals-ready-to-eat, services to ship equipment, and preventive and corrective equipment maintenance.
Additionally, the 93rd Signal Brigade, JBLE's Network Enterprise Center, provided critical communication support, which enabled JTF-CS to exercise command and control of the Defense CBRNE Reactionary Force during the exercise. Furthermore, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command provided safety and occupational health management capabilities.
"The assistance and services provided by our JBLE partners helped produce a very successful exercise and enabled JTF-CS and the DCRF to successfully complete a very rigorous evaluation organized by Army North," said Roy. "The exercise validated that JTF-CS is ready to respond to an incident anywhere in the country with great speed."
Vibrant Response is conducted annually by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North to test the capability of the federal response forces to include the DCRF to meet the expectations of the nation. The exercise features realistic venues, fire, damaged buildings, smoke effects, mannequins and civilian role-players to simulate casualties and displaced citizens that are common in any disaster environment.
In this year's exercise, a simulated 10-kiloton nuclear device exploded in the Indianapolis Speedway. To replicate the catastrophe, the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, at Butlerville, Ind., which hosts a 1,000 acre urban training facility and features more than 120 training structures and more than one mile of searchable tunnels, was used.
"We executed all missions during Vibrant Response in support of the lead federal agency at the request of the state in order to save lives and prevent further human suffering," said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Will Roy, commander, JTF-CS. "The joint team executed their missions superbly, validating that we stand ready to serve the nation in its hour of greatest need at a moment's notice."
To continually prepare for disaster response, an upcoming Joint Logistics over the Shore (JLOTS) exercise will be conducted with JTF-CS and the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) at Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Va., to evaluate how equipment and supplies can be quickly moved ashore when port facilities are nonexistent, damaged or too primitive for ships to off-load their cargo at a pier.
"You need to be ready to go out the door at any moment, because you never know when you're going to be called," said U.S. Navy Capt. Craig Wilson, JTF-CS director of operations. "The more you practice being ready for those operations during exercises and training like this, the better prepared you'll be when you're called."
Additional information about JTF-CS and the capabilities of the Defense CBRN Response Force can be found online here:
http://www.jtfcs.northcom.mil/JTFCS.aspx