Not always needed, but always Ready. The 10th Homeland Response Force Conducts Sustainment Year Collective Training Exercise in Camp Rilea, Ore.

Last month, more than 350 Army and Air National Guardsmen from Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and Oregon—traveled to Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center in Warrenton, Ore., to conduct a Sustainment Year Collective Training Exercise (SYCTE).

The SYCTE is multi-day evaluation that helps commanders collectively assess the readiness of all HRF elements while they perform their specialized tasks during a mock disaster scenario.

Collective training events allow service members from units tasked with the Homeland Response Force Mission to put a years’ worth of training into a cumulative exercise to put their skills to the test as a complete asset.

The HRF is comprised of the CBRN Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP), Joint Incident Site Communications Capability (JISCC) CBRNE Assistance Support Element (CASE) and the HRF Command and Control Element (C2).

During the seven-day event, HRF elements were evaluated on every phase of response, from planning to execution, by Observer Coach/Trainers (OC/T) from AITEC CBRNE Battalion, West Virginia National Guard.

Prior to the start of the exercise, the HRF C2 staff conducted two days of classroom refresher training on a new information sharing system fielded to National Guard CBRN-aligned units.

The National Guard CBRN Response Enterprise Information Management System (NG-CIMS) is a record system providing a common operating picture for managing mission operations during emergencies.

“The SYCTE was a great opportunity for the 10th HRF to both employ a new system and engage most of the drilling staff,” said Master Sgt. Christopher Pearce, 10th HRF Operations Sgt. Maj., “There were, of course, some growing pains with such an effort but i think that everyone now has a better understanding of the operation and systems that we use.”

Instructors from the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense challenged staff to “break the system” and really put the software to the test.

“This training was needed to help us learn and grow,” said Washington National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Woehrman, team leader of the CASE element. “Now our company—myself included—have a clear understanding of what is expected of us and what our role is.”