Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel

    Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 Idaho quake response exercise flexes multiagency muscle By Master Sgt. Sarah Pokorney
                Idaho National Guard
 BOISE, Idaho – A team of personnel from the Washington National Guard’s 10th Homeland Response Force, dressed in tan protective suits, entered a partially collapsed building in search of possible survivors. The damage to the building and potential deadly argon gas contamination resulted from a catastrophic earthquake and aftershocks affecting southern Idaho. Across town, in a dark, cramped room deep within the Lucky Peak Dam, Guard members of the Idaho 101st Civil Support Team assemble a rescue tripod over a dark utility hole to rescue workers trapped hundreds of feet below. These are just a few of the hundreds of disaster scenarios that played out over the week-long Idaho National Guard disaster response exercise, Idaho Response-19, that took place March 7 to 13 in Boise, Idaho. More than 350 Guard members took part in the exercise. Nearly 80 were Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers and Idaho Air National Guard Airmen, including the 101st Civil Support Team, Joint Staff assigned to Idaho’s Joint Operations Center, white cell planners, observers and personnel orchestrating Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Integration, or JRSOI, for inbound organizations. Nearly 250 participants came from surrounding states including Guard members from Washington’s 10th HRF, Montana National Guard’s 83rd CST, and Utah National Guard’s 85th CST. Representatives from U.S. Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau joined the Joint Task Force Idaho staff. The purpose of the Idaho Response-19 exercise was to test the Idaho National Guard’s ability to interact with regional partners and support civil authorities and agencies during a no-notice, catastrophic disaster. The scenario was designed to overwhelm an otherwise prepared state. “When we started planning in early 2017, we envisioned an exercise of such magnitude that it would drive objectives we’ve never performed in a domestic response before,” said Col. Doug Smith, exercise director. “It would include seeking National Guard capabilities outside of the state like the 10th Homeland Response Force and civil support teams, require us to JRSOI incoming resources and stand up a dual-status commander to receive Title 10 forces.” “I didn’t want to make too many factors notional, so we could really go through the motions as we would in a real response. The joint staff came in piecemeal as they would in a real incident—because they would be victims too,” said Smith. “The staff struggled at first but exceeded my expectations as they tracked both simulated and notional activities.” The exercise was engineered to challenge the participants in a variety of ways. Day one started with a high volume of incidents overwhelming local first responders and testing participants’ communication skills and established processes. Day two brought fewer but more complex scenarios, which required more specialized response capabilities and taxed decision-making and prioritization skills. As the exercise progressed, the highly complex situations required focused working groups and multi-agency collaboration. The exercise culminated with a significant infusion of notional federal resources, which brought the exercise to a timely end. “Some of the biggest lessons learned included our coordination with the Idaho Office of Emergency Management and how to support them as well as the process that the joint staff developed to effectively respond to situations as they rolled in,” said Col. Ryan Robinson, exercise chief of joint staff. Robinson explained that the 18 months of preparation for the exercise included quarterly joint staff training, practical exercises, sending observers to Vigilant Guard exercises in other states and a visit to U.S. Northern Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Smith noted that the Idaho National Guard plans to hold another similar exercise in 2022 that will align with the Washington and Oregon Vigilant Guard Exercises, NORTHCOM’s Ardent Sentry and FEMA’s Cascadia Rising, which are based on a scenario following an earthquake and tsunami in the highly probable Cascadia Subduction Zone. Dubbed “The Big One,” this widespread incident is predicted to unleash a 9.0+ magnitude earthquake and a 100 foot-tall tsunami affecting the bulk of the Pacific coast shoreline and western states. Smith went on to explain that key to maintaining our preparedness is by keeping leadership and the joint staff engaged while continuing to refine the planning and training. “The joint staff needs to stay engaged, which can be challenging as an additional duty, but we’re on a good path.” The exercise followed the Idaho Office of Emergency’s Management’s three-day exercise, Operation Shared Response, which focused on the same scenario the week before. That exercise included local, state and federal responders. Both exercises ensure that the Idaho Military Division remains capable to respond during a real-world emergency or disaster.
 SHARE
 PRINT
 
 Pennsylvania Army Guardsmen Complete Combat Lifesaver Course
 By Sgt. 1st Class Shane Smith,
  38th Infantry Division Soldiers Conduct Warfighter Exercise
 By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry,
  Puerto Rico Air National Guard Trains at Red Flag-Alaska
 By 156th Wing
  More
 Pennsylvania Army Guardsmen Complete Combat Lifesaver Course Guard News • 2 hours ago
 38th Infantry Division Soldiers Conduct Warfighter Exercise Guard News • 9 hours ago
 Puerto Rico Air National Guard Trains at Red Flag-Alaska Guard News • 10 hours ago
 Air National Guard Conducts Sentry Savannah Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 Hawaii Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Aloha Joint Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 2024 (196)  2023 (427)  2022 (526)  2021 (697)  2020 (936)  2019 (387)  2018 (323)  2017 (346)  2016 (245)  2015 (356)  2014 (399)  2013 (469)  2012 (556)  2011 (533)  2010 (1071)  2009 (357)  2008 (638)  2007 (295)  2006 (188)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil