FORT CARSON, Colo. - Over 45 Maryland National Guard soldiers provided public affairs and logistics support during Vibrant Response 24 at Fort Carson, Colorado, April 19 to May 3. VR is an annual U.S. Army North, U. S. Northern Command - directed Command Post exercise planned in coordination with the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal and state partners.
The training provided the participating military units an opportunity to work together with federal and state agencies to validate their response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) catastrophic event. U.S. Army North, in coordination with U.S. Northern Command and the Department of Homeland Security, have conducted these annual exercises since 2008.
"The Maryland National Guard proudly supports Army North's VR exercise, enhancing the Department of Defense's readiness for chemical , biological, radiological and nuclear event response," said U.S. Army Col. Bradley Martsching, the commander of Maryland National Guard's 58th Troop Command,. "Our logistical and public affairs support to the exercise underscores our capability to assist our active duty partners in national-level events, showcasing our commitment to seamless collaboration and effective crisis management. This collaboration reinforces the Maryland National Guard's integral role in bolstering national security and readiness."
Soldiers from the Maryland National Guard’s 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment provided public affairs support to Joint Task Force - Civil Support during the scenario based training. This includes interacting with media roleplayers, drafting press releases, and engaging on social media simulation platforms. Soldiers from 58th and 581st Troop Commands processed over 350 participants for phase one of the exercise and provided logistical support to the exercise as Mayor Cell at Fort Carson.
“As a fellow service member in the National Guard, I was really proud to know that an Army National Guard unit was coming here to manage our mayor cell and provide public affairs support,” said Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, Commanding General, Task Force 51 and Deputy Commanding General – Support for the United States Army North. “The Joint Reception Staging Onward Movement and Integration process led by the Maryland National Guard and public affairs support has been outstanding. The public affairs scenario training certainly helped me and my TF-51 senior leaders with media training and realistic press conferences that asked the difficult questions.”
Vibrant Response is an annual U.S. Northern Command directed command post exercise. As U.S. Northern Command's Joint Force Land Component Command, U.S. Army North is Vibrant Response 24's executive agent responsible for ensuring the training focuses on a simulated Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) disaster scenario designed to validate U.S. Northern Command's CBRN Response Enterprise's ability to exercise short-notice and no-notice deployment of military forces at the request of civil authorities to save lives, alleviate human suffering, and mitigate property damage following a catastrophic CBRN event.
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