Island response teams ‘leapfrog’ a simulated chemical attack

GUAM – Two National Guard Civil Support Teams recently showed their joint response capabilities outside the U.S. mainland during a large scale disaster response exercise.

After crossing more than 3,800 miles of ocean in a simulated emergency response, Sept. 17, 2008, at least 20 Soldiers and Airmen of the Hawaii Guard’s 93rd CST took over a complete disaster mission from the Guam Guard’s 94th CST as part of the National Guard Bureau-sponsored exercise Vigilant Guard.

Vigilant Guard also joined hundreds of other guard members from at least five states along with federal, state and local responders, Sept. 12-19, 2008, in a simulated response to a terrorist attack on Guam.

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Vigilant Guard managers put the KaBOOM in terrorism exercises

GUAM – KaBOOM!

Exercise managers for the Vigilant Guard homeland security exercise added realism, Sept. 16, 2008, by blowing up balloons filled with explosive gas.

KaPOW!

They tested the balloons today. Tomorrow the noisemakers will prompt police swat teams to move in on a suspected fake terrorist hideout at a hotel. Along with phony blown up cars, it’s all been fabricated by the National Guard’s civilian exercise managers.

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Guam’s signal specialists can deliver island’s disaster messages

It’s not just delivering the message, it’s also delivering it to the right people from the right place at the right time. And that’s not so easy after a major disaster where hundreds of emergency responders communicate recovery efforts.

Although the U.S. Territory of Guam encompasses only 212 square miles, its high peaks and mountains can make normal emergency communications impossible. Disaster response experts here say the Guam Army National Guard’s communications and signal specialists are an invaluable asset to the island during emergencies.

Communications experts including Army Spc. Angeles Dacaney, a radio operator and maintainer from the Guam Army National Guard’s 105th Troop Command, were busy, Sept. 14, 2008, supporting a Navy exercise on the island as well as working in the National Guard Bureau’s homeland security exercise Vigilant Guard.

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