CROSS-BORDER EXERCISE PROGRAM 

The United States Department of Homeland Security, Office for Domestic Preparedness 

(USDHS/ODP), recognizes the unique needs and issues of states and territories with 

international borders or international open-water borders. Daily border crossings or open-water 

entry by large numbers of the international community make select states and territories

especially vulnerable to international terrorist cells attempting entry, or worse, terrorist attacks. 

Recent events, such as the massive influx of boat refugees from Haiti arriving in Florida or 

American Samoa’s interception of a individual attempting to enter the territory with multiple 

false identifications illustrates the additional risk imposed upon local and state/territorial 

governments in screening and identifying potential adversaries that may be seek entry into the 

United States. 

ODP will provide state and territorial jurisdictions the opportunity to receive direct exercise

support to conduct cross-border exercises that will focus on prevention and preparedness 

activities that support the national strategy and/or federally approved state strategic plan goals 

and objectives. Direct exercise support will be provided by the existing contractor support 

assigned to the three exercise regions. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of this program is to strengthen a state’s capability to execute its sovereign 

responsibilities and to encourage follow-up joint cross-border prevention and response activities 

in new or existing training, mutual supporting plan development, and exercises activities. States 

are encouraged to coordinate with the Indian tribal nations in which the pre-dominance of the 

tribal nation resides. 

Cross-border exercise activities executed under this program might include: 

• Intelligence processing and sharing 

• Customs operations 

• Mutual aid agreements 

• Immigration operations 

• Border crossing operations 

• Commodities flow and verification 

• Language or cultural ‘barrier’ issues 

• National and international laws and procedures 

• Victim care and transport between international facilities 

• Emergency responder certification and protocols 

• Pre-pandemic / epidemic health protocols 

The hosting jurisdiction may want to consider conducting the exercise in the foreign country in 

order to facilitate foreign participation. States and territories must receive prior approval from

their assigned Preparedness Officer prior to use of Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) 

grants for international travel and authorized expenses. 

1
States and territories are encouraged to extend invitations to federal agencies such as: Federal 

Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF), State 

Department, Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Interior (DOI), Department of 

Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and organizations of the United States 

Department of Homeland Security (USDHS), such as Border, Transportation Security (BTS), 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Immigration, Customs Enforcement (ICE), 

Transportation Security Agency (TSA), Secret Service and United States Coast Guard (USCG). 

ELIGIBLE JURISDICTIONS 

Eligible jurisdictions are based on geographical considerations targeting those states and tribal 

nations that have a contiguous border with Canada or Mexico, and states and territories having 

international open-water boundaries with foreign countries, sovereign island nations or 

strategically isolated in international bodies of water from continental mutual aid support. States 

and territories eligible for cross-border direct exercise support include: 

Western (11) Central (5) Eastern (8) 

*Alaska – TTX *Ohio – TTX *Florida - TTX 

*American Samoa – SEM Michigan Maine

Arizona *Minnesota – TTX New Hampshire 

*California – TTX *North Dakota – TTX *New York – TTX 

*Guam – WKS Texas Pennsylvania

Hawaii Puerto Rico

Idaho *Vermont – TTX 

Montana Virgin Islands

*New Mexico – TTX 

*No. Mariana Islands - WKS 

Washington

(All eligible jurisdictions were previously canvassed. Highlighted jurisdictions with an asterisk indicate 

for cross border exercise support. TTX = tabletop exercise, WKS = Workshop, and SEM = Seminar). 

DIRECT SUPPORT and LOCAL EXERCISE RESPONSIBILITIES 

Direct support activities by the ODP exercise support team include the design/development, 

conduct and evaluation methodology of a cross-border exercise. Specific tasks include: 

• conducting no more than three planning conferences with the local design team; 

• assisting in the development of exercise goals and objectives; 

• developing scenarios or background materials; 

• developing exercise materials (agendas, participant handbooks, worksheets, situation 

manuals, and evaluation forms, as required); 

• developing presentation or briefing materials; 

• providing facilitators; 

• coordinating the review of all draft exercise materials with the ODP Exercise Managers; 

• conducting the post-exercise hotwash and compilation of evaluation materials; and 

2
• producing the exercise After-Action Report /Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) or exercise 

Summary Report. 

State and territories are responsible for the activities and costs associated with: 

• providing a local exercise design team of appropriate subject matter experts; 

• inviting and registering participants; 

• securing a facility to conduct the exercise; 

• coordinating the audio-visual needs to the exercise; 

• providing appropriate plans, policies, and procedures to the ODP direct support 

contractor; and 

• providing local evaluators during the exercise, as required. 

EXERCISE ACTIVITY 

Cross-border exercise activities will consist of the design/development, conduct, and evaluation 

of discussion-based exercises: seminar, workshop or tabletop exercise. Exercise activity will be 

limited to one per state or territory. Additional cross border type exercises may be conducted 

with existing SHSGP and HSGP funds. These exercises, as with any ODP-funded exercise, 

should be linked to the goals and objectives of the state or territorial strategy plan. 

Exercise support for cross-border exercises will adhere to the principles and formats identified in 

Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), Volumes I through IV. HSEEP 

is available to registered users of the ODP Secure Portal at (https://odp.esportals.com).

Since the cross-border exercise may not be an identified exercise activity of the current exercise 

work plan, states and territories should consult with their ODP preparedness officer and/or 

exercise manager. New exercise activities requiring use of the state/territorial grant or an 

existing activity that results in a reallocation or modification of funds should be reported to the 

assigned Preparedness Officer as a modified budget worksheet. 

ACTIVITY PERIOD 

Cross-border direct support exercise activities must be conducted by March 31, 2005, and 

reported by May 31, 2005. 

ALLOWABLE EXPENSES 

Costs associated with the hosting of an exercise (facility rental, audio-visual support, etc), travel, 

per diem, and overtime, are examples of allowable expenses. Where not specifically stated, 

allowable costs remain the same as described in FY2004 HSGP Program Guidelines and 

Application Kit. 

3
NON-ALLOWABLE EXPENSES 

Any cost pertaining to the participation of foreign participants, i.e., travel, per diem, or overtime 

(these costs must be borne by their respective government agencies). Where not specifically 

stated, non-allowable costs remain the same as described in FY2004 SHSGP Program Guidelines 

and Application Kit. 

STATE DEPARTMENT ASSISTANCE 

The State Department is offering its assistance in facilitating participation of foreign participants 

in the cross-border exercises. Specifically, the State Department can aid in identifying and 

inviting the appropriate level of foreign invitees; assist in identifying potential financial support 

for foreign participant travel costs; or participate in the exercises as a federal agency. Contact 

information for the various State Department area coordinators is provided in the contact section 

of this guide. 

REPORTING PROCEDURES 

Grant reporting requirements can be found in SHSGP and HSGP Program Guidelines and 

Application Kit. Exercise reporting requirements will utilize the AAR/IP format and timeline 

found in HSEEP Volume II. AAR/IPs and Summary Reports are due to ODP 60 days following 

the cross-border exercise. 

POINTS OF CONTACT 

Primary exercise points of contact for this program and other exercise questions are provided: 

AK, ND, WA AS, CA, CNMI, GU, NM, OH, MN 

Jennifer L. Roberson Herbert “Bud” Marshall Kevin Fannin 

Exercise Manager Exercise Manager Exercise Manager 

810 7th St., NW 810 7th St., NW 810 7th St., NW

Washington, DC 20531 Washington, DC 20531 Washington, DC 20531 

(202) 353-7556 (202) 514-7337 (202) 514-7972 

jennifer.roberson@dhs.gov herbert.marshall@dhs.gov kevin.fannin@dhs.gov

VT NY FL 

Sandra Santa Konstanty Kaminski Rob Schweitzer 

Exercise Manager Exercise Manager Exercise Manager 

810 7th St., NW 810 7th St., NW 810 7th St., NW

Washington, DC 20531 Washington, DC 20531 Washington, DC 20531 

(202) 514-7894 (202) 514-8008 (202) 353-1566 

sandra.santa@dhs.gov konstanty.kaminski@dhs.gov robert.schweitzer@dhs.gov

4
Branch Chief 

Michael O. Forgy 

Branch Chief 

810 7th St., NW

Washington, DC 20531 

(202) 514-7881 

michael.forgy@dhs.gov

Questions regarding grants and other program areas should be referred to the Preparedness 

Office at the Centralized Scheduling Information Desk (CSID) Help Line (1-800-368-6498) or 

askcsd@ojp.usdoj.gov). 

Contact information for the regional areas of the State Department are: 

Canada Mexico Caribbean 

Bill McCulla Dennis M. Linskey Brian Bachman 

Coordinator Coordinator Desk Officer

Bureau of Western Affairs U.S.-Mexico Border Affairs Eastern Caribbean Region 

U.S. Department of State U.S. Department of State U.S. Department of State 

Washington, D.C. 20520 Washington, D.C. 20520 Washington, D.C. 20520 

(202) 647-2244 (202) 647-8529 (202) 647-4384 

MccullaWL2@state.gov linskeydm@state.gov bachmanbd@state.gov

Eastern Asia / Pacific Ocean 

Bronson Percival 

Counter-Terrorism Coordinator 

East Asia Bureau 

U.S. Department of State 

Washington, D.C. 20520 

(202) 647-6094 

percivalbe@state.gov

5