CAMP SANTIAGO JOINT TRAINING CENTER, Puerto Rico –U.S. Airmen and Soldiers assigned to the 22nd Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Enhanced Response Force Package, Puerto Rico National Guard, conducted a synchronization collective training exercise in March, strengthening readiness and preparing participants for domestic operations and future evaluations.
The three-day exercise focused on reinforcing perishable skills and evaluating mission execution across multiple disciplines, ensuring personnel can effectively perform life-saving tasks in high-stress environments.
“We have five different disciplines out on the footprint right now, as we call it,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kory Lund, lead exercise director with the Army Interagency Training and Education Center. “We have five core elements: medical, fatality search and recovery team, search and extraction team, mass decontamination team, and a command post, each working together to complete their missions.”
The training followed a crawl, walk, run progression model overseen by the Joint Interagency Evaluation Team, allowing participants to build foundational skills before advancing to more complex scenarios. Evaluators included representatives from the National Guard Bureau and Army and Air National Guard members from Colorado, Ohio and New England.
“This is what we call a supported collective training event,” Lund said. “We’re here training the teams and preparing them for their external evaluation scheduled for fiscal year 2027.”
Throughout the exercise, CERFP teams responded to simulated disaster scenarios, including collapsed structures, casualty recovery and medical treatment of injured personnel. The training emphasized coordination, communication and rapid response under realistic conditions.
“This exercise plays a critical role in maintaining readiness due to the perishable nature of the skills required for CERFP missions,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Milton Martinez, commander of the 156th Medical Group, Detachment 1. “These exercises ensure teams get the repetitions they need so they’re ready when called upon to serve their communities.”
A key component of the CERFP mission is its role as a force multiplier for civilian emergency responders. During domestic incidents, National Guard forces operate in support of civil authorities, integrating into existing command structures.
The exercise also highlighted the importance of joint interoperability among Army and Air National Guard units, particularly in communication and coordination across disciplines.
“The biggest benefit of this training is learning how to communicate effectively and work together,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Sandra L. Diaz-Irizarry, medical plans officer, 156th Medical Group, Detachment 1. “By bringing different services and civilian agencies together, we build the relationships and understanding needed for a real-world response.”
Lund noted that adapting training to varying experience levels across teams remains one of the exercise’s challenges. However, he praised the Puerto Rico National Guard participants for their performance and adaptability.
“They’ve been very eager to learn,” Lund said. “By the second day, some teams were performing at a level you’d expect from units that have trained together for years.”
Officials emphasized that lessons learned during the exercise will continue to refine operational capabilities and improve coordination with civilian partners.
The 22nd CERFP, Puerto Rico National Guard, remains a critical asset in supporting local, state and federal authorities during natural disasters or emergency incidents, ensuring rapid, organized and effective response to protect lives and communities.
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