FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: RANDY HARRIS 

3 APRIL 2008 615-313-0662(OFFICE) 

VG08-01 615-517-0984(CELL) 

TENNESSEE NATIONAL GUARD 

HOSTS MULTI-STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE EXERCISE 

”Vigilant Guard 08” is a Tennessee National Guard-hosted exercise designed to test the National Guard as the 

first military responder in support of the governor and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, in the 

event of a catastrophic emergency within the state. The exercise will be in response to a simulated 7.6 Richter 

magnitude scale earthquake along the New Madrid fault line near Memphis. 

"Vigilant Guard 08" reinforces that all emergency incidents are locally controlled and the National Guard is a 

“force multiplier” for local and state first responders. The exercise will demonstrate the capabilities of the 

Tennessee National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, the Joint Task Force-Tennessee, and the Tennessee 

Emergency Management Agency’s ability to assist local responders under the Emergency Management 

Assistance Compact (EMAC). EMAC is the process where Governors reach out to other governors for 

additional assistance in emergency situations. More than 1,700 National Guard personnel from Tennessee, 

Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri will take part in the exercise. 

The 45th Civil Support Team (CST) from Tennessee will be joined by CST’s from Illinois, Kentucky and Illinois. 

Each CST is comprised of 22 full-time Army and Air National Guard personnel. The fully self-contained CST’s 

are equipped with a variety of assets including satellite communications capability and an Analytical Laboratory 

System vehicle containing a full suite of analysis equipment to support the identification of the hazard. The CST 

normally deploys using its assigned vehicles, but can be airlifted, if required. 

Tennessee National Guard units taking part in the exercise include the 30th Troop Command, headquartered in 

Tullahoma; Nashville’s 118th Airlift Wing; the 230th Sustainment Brigade headquartered in Chattanooga and 

Memphis; Knoxville’s 134th Air Refueling Wing, 228th Combat Communications Squadron and 278th Armored 

Cavalry Regiment; Memphis’ 134th Airlift Wing; and the 194th Engineer Brigade, headquartered in Jackson. The 

Joint Operations Center which controls all National Guard assets during an event will locate at the Volunteer 

Training Center in Smyrna. 

Another major player is the Illinois National Guard Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear, and Explosive 

(CBRNE) - Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP), whose mission is to provide immediate response 

capability to search an incident site, including damaged buildings; rescue any casualties, decontaminate them, 

and perform medical triage and initial treatment to stabilize them for transport to a medical facility to include 

extracting victims trapped in the rubble. 

The field portion of the exercise will take place on April 19-23, 2008 at the Naval Support Activity 

(NAVSUPPACT) Mid-South located in Millington, Tennessee, just north of Memphis. 

For more information concerning Vigilant Guard 08, contact the Tennessee National Guard Joint Public Affairs 

Office at 615-313-0633 or go to http://www.tnmilitary.org/VG08/VG08HOME.htm. 

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