Photo By Capt. John Stephens | The 49th Military Police Brigade in conjunction with the California CBRN Task Force,...... read more read more
Sonoma Developmental Center Eldridge, CA – The 49th Military Police Brigade in conjunction with the California CBRN Task Force, Homeland Response Force, and several civilian agencies joined one another in the third annual Sentinel Response training event April 26th through 30th in Eldridge, California. More than 650 civilians and Soldiers responded to a mock 7.5 earthquake along the Rodgers Creek Fault line.
Members of the 49th MP Brigade’s Region IX Homeland Response Force (HRF) teamed with Travis Air Forces Base’s 21st Airmobility Wing on April 26th. Soldiers and Airmen executed loading procedures and then flew in a C-17 aircraft with the equipment. Soldiers then unloaded and set up communication equipment simulating what could happen in a real-world scenario. Air Force Major Charles Cummings of the 21st Airmobility Wing said, “It is our purpose to ensure the support of others to complete their duties. Training in fast-paced, unpredictable environments allows for the solidification of our continued relationships."
The 49th MP Brigade did not have much of a break as Sentinel Response kicked off at the Sonoma Developmental Center in Eldridge, California on April 28th, 2022. The three-day exercise saw the integration of the 95th Civil Support Team (CST), the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), Multiple HAZMAT, and US&R Fire Response Teams from across northern California, the Red Cross, and Animal Decon. Agencies had to establish specific communication and map responsibilities for each group. Lt. Col. Adam Rix, Commander, California CBRN Task Force said, “It was a tremendous privilege to work with our local and state US&R and HAZMAT partners on the complex problems we face together.” Lt. Col. Rix continued, “Working like this allowed us to learn, grow and better understand how we can bring our capabilities together ahead of an actual disaster.”
“April is California Earthquake Preparedness Month,” said Phillip White, Lead Exercise Planner for Sentinel Response 2022. White continued, “The biggest benefit of exercises like this is all the major players can hit the ground running when disaster strikes in a real-world scenario because they know each other’s capabilities.” White also spoke specifically about the HRF and CBRN Taskforce, “One of the most important things that happened is the HRF and CBRN task force worked together with civilian counterparts. They had to come together and create a unity of effort to save lives, protect property and mitigate the destruction. It was great to see the leadership work together and that is the main objective of Sentinel Response.”
HAZMAT Fire Response Teams along with California National Guard Soldiers assessed the training environment before conducting search and extraction for victims in tight spaces. First responders utilized high and low-angle rope rescue to extract these victims from dangerous buildings affected by the simulated earthquake. The 149th Chemical Company conducted decontamination procedures to ensure that all victims, animals, and first responders were clear of hazardous material before entering the safe zone. The 49th MP Brigade established communications and tracked the logistics of the event from their mobile command center.
Col. Jean-Paul Laurenceau, Commander, Region IV Homeland Response Force Command Element, traveled from his Georgia National Guard post to watch operation Sentinel Response. Col. Laurenceau said he learned greatly from his Region IX counterparts. His primary goal, “is to observe, learn, and build interstate relationships to serve our communities better.”
The 49th MP Brigade also received NATO’s Military Police Center of Excellence, Staff Officer of the Lesson’s Learned Branch, Major Pawel Lewandowski during Sentinel Response. Major Lewandowski, who serves NATO as part of his home country of Poland, was interested in working relationships and wanted to see how California is approaching cross-functional partnerships. He was not disappointed as he said, “What I observed this weekend isn’t what I expected. It was better.”
Lt. Col. Eric Sharyer, Commander, 49th Military Police Brigade and the Region IX Homeland Response Force could not have been happier with the outcome. “The 49th Military Police Brigade seeks to understand the disciplines and capabilities of our interagency partners in order to strive to increase our interoperability. In order to support, you must first understand.” Lt. Col. Sharyer stressed the importance of these partnerships saying, “The 49th Military Police Brigade, alongside our partners, support our communities through interagency disaster preparedness. It is better to exchange business cards at a training exercise rather than a real-world event.”
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2022 21:59 |
| Story ID: | 420524 |
| Location: | CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 249 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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