Vigilant Guard is a National Guard Bureau and U.S. Northern Command civil support exercise that partners with FEMA each year to provide natural disaster response training to local and federal agencies in each of the 10 FEMA regions. The 2018 Vigilant Guard training for FEMA Region VIII took place March 3–7 in Helena, Montana. It simulated a 7.5 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter near Hebgen Dam located in the southern region of the State.
“Exercises like these are extremely helpful; it helps us to establish a good working relationship with all of the different agencies involved from the local, state and federal level,” said COL David Chase, the region VIII Defense Coordinating Officer for U.S. Army North (Fifth Army), U.S. Northern Command. “The exercise also gives us a chance to work out our operating procedures in the event of a real-world mission.”
The Region VIII exercise was comprised of 57 local, State and federal government agencies. Army National Guard participants included the Montana Army National Guard’s 1049th Fire Fighting Technology Group (FFTG) and 83rd Civil Support Team (CST), the Idaho Army National Guard’s 101st CST, the Oregon Army National Guard’s CBRN Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP), the Utah Army National Guard’s Homeland Response Force (HRF) and the Wyoming Army National Guard’s 84th CST and Joint Operations Center support staff.
Vigilant Guard is similar to other training exercises in that it gives Soldiers an opportunity to work with the same neighboring States and civilian agencies they would partner with in an actual emergency. That type of practiced teamwork will always prove beneficial when executing tasks in the wake of an actual disaster with real lives and property at stake.
During the training, the 83rd CST was tasked with responding to fictional flooding in the community of Great Falls. Once on site, the unit worked to set up a chemical lane, conduct search and rescue and contain simulated radiation that had washed ashore from a nearby river.
