Subscribe
Exercise “Vigilant Response 2017” took place at Marine Corps Air Station New River on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The exercise tested the installation’s abilities to respond to and recover from a catastrophic event to be better prepared for potential future attacks.
“The purpose of this exercise is to test our response time,” said Col. Russell Burton, commanding officer for MCAS New River. “It compounds and stresses systems and resources that we have available.”
The annual full-scale exercise involved a mass casualty incident aboard the installation, resulting from a terrorist attack using explosives-laden drones against an aircraft. In an effort to ensure the training was as realistic as possible, more than 100 role players acted as victims, family members, media and witnesses. Special effects were also used to simulate the mass-casualty incident.
“This year it was an aviation mishap and an incident with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device aboard the base,” said Burton. “We try to train across the full spectrum of the contingencies we may have to face.”
MCAS New River departments and tenant commands, the Provost Marshal’s Office, Explosive Ordinance Disposal teams, Naval Criminal Investigative Services, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Fire and Emergency Services Division as well other government and local entities to include local emergency responders from Onslow County Sheriff’s Department, Jacksonville Police Department, North Carolina Marine Patrol, Onslow County Emergency Management personnel to include Onslow County Emergency Medical Services, Onslow Memorial Hospital, Richlands Volunteer Rescue Squad, Nine Mile Volunteer Rescue Squad, American Red Cross, Navy Marine Corps Relief Society and North Carolina Highway Patrol all participated in the exercise.
“We start working with installations some times a year out,” said Mary Beth Skarote, all hazards exercise planner for the regional exercise team. “We do all of our planning, get on board with the installation, develop exercise objectives, scenarios and everything that makes the exercise flow.”
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 11.20.2017 09:38 |
| Story ID: | 254640 |
| Location: | NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Vigilant Response conducted aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River, by Sgt Juan Madrigal, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
