Photo By Staff Sgt. Jacob Slaymaker | Service members attached to Joint Task Force-National Capital Region set up the...... read more read more
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WASHINGTON -- Service members attached to the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) conducted a rehearsal of concept (ROC) drill in preparation for the 60th Presidential Inauguration at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia, Dec. 17, 2024. The setup for the ROC drill included a large map projected on the floor so all service members could clearly see the layout during the planning phase of the event.
The 60th Presidential Inauguration has many moving parts, and each JTF-NCR section plays a vital role in ensuring its mission success. The ROC drill helps with planning every aspect of the inauguration.
“There’s lots of moving pieces,” said U.S. Army Capt. Andrew Bohn, Task Force Grant operations officer. “You have the White House, the Capitol, the parade route, dispersal, screening everyone, the horses at the Prince George Equestrian center, so to coordinate and synchronize everybody moving around all over the national capital region and execute the inauguration, it’s a big task.
“If one group is planning by themselves in a bubble without everyone else’s knowledge, we could make assumptions that are incorrect, and so we can identify that (incorrect information) when we do planning like this to make sure all of our assumptions are verified and turned into facts.”
Since the JTF-NCR is a joint team, there will be challenges to completing the mission successfully. However, every team member has risen to overcome any challenge to get the job done by overcoming adversity when faced with it.
“I think the first challenge really doesn’t have anything to do with the joint environment,” Bohn said. “It’s all these military personnel that got pulled together for this mission from the different service components all across the United States and abroad learning what their job is and executing the job while getting up to speed with a plan of this size in such a short period of time.
“It’s definitely challenging but it’s what we are good at, moving around all the time, learning a new job and executing it in a joint environment.”
Like everything in the military, training is as important as execution. Without a clear understanding of the task or mission, things can get lost in translation, jeopardizing mission success.
“Train as you fight and fight as you train,” said U.S. Navy Chief Mass Communication Specialist Orlando Quintero, JTF-NCR noncommissioned officer in charge of media operations. “The importance of this is to make sure--because we only have one chance to get it right--we are prepared for all aspects of the presidential inauguration."
The media operations team is the liaison between the JTF-NCR and local media outlets. In preparation of the upcoming ROC Drill media engagement, Quintero ensures media has open access to subject matter experts.
“It’s very important that we have these rehearsals, so all the agencies understand their roles and come together to make it a smooth transition.”
Training and communication are key to success. The ROC drill is an essential part of the planning process, helping to bring everyone together in one location.
“It would be quite a logistical challenge trying to plan for every obstacle or whatever we have to do if we didn’t have this venue to rehearse leading up to the inauguration,” Quintero said. “Every piece of this puzzle is vital to the success of the inauguration, and with a missing piece, it can make a difference between a successful or fragmented inauguration. Every piece is critical and important to accomplish our common goal.”
| Date Taken: | 12.17.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.17.2024 16:27 |
| Story ID: | 487732 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 119 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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