Photo By Sgt. Suzanne Carter | Officers and senior non-commissioned officers of Joint Task Force 71 walked through a...... read more read more
BRYAN, Texas - The sun glared off the side of the train car jutting into the sky. Soldiers and officers walked by, snapping photos on their cellphones of the wreckage as they toured the sites at Texas Engineering Extension Service's Disaster City.
The senior leaders of Joint Task Force 71 visited the site as part of the brigade's Employee Professional Development weekend in Bryan/College Station, Texas, Aug. 12-14.
The weekend included training sessions on use of new travel planning procedures, troop-leading procedures, operation orders planning and a host of other topics aimed at preparing for the brigade's Homeland Response Force external evaluation and certification in October.
"What we have going on this weekend is for each commander to give a brief overview of their company," said Master Sgt. Tanya Mayes, JTF-71 operations and training non-commissioned officer-in-charge, "and the capabilities that they have that will come together collectively to be what is called the Homeland Response Force."
Held throughout the year, EPDs contribute to the brigade's overall readiness by keeping all the leaders informed and connected with their training demands. While each EPD JTF-71 holds provides valuable information about upcoming training events, this weekend focused specifically on the components of the HRF mission and the first three of six phases of evaluation.
"The leadership that was with us today clearly understands the capabilities of the 6th [Civil Support Team]," said Lt. Col. Lloyd Waugh, JTF-71 operations and training officer-in-charge, "as well as the 6th [Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package], as well as the HRF concept, as well as the operations that we will be doing for Phase Zero through Phase Two of our ExEval."
The EPD also provides leaders the necessary information to disseminate among their troops.
"It's important so that leaders can have the themes and messages and understand the concept and commander's intent, so that they can share that amongst their soldiers and airmen," Waugh said.
At the conclusion of the EPD, JTF-71 leadership left Bryan/College Station more prepared to execute the necessary steps to ensure successful completion of the external evaluation and become certified to perform under the HRF mission.
"It has been outstanding training for everyone involved because again, the key is to make sure that everyone, that we all understand what the mission is," Mayes continued, "so that we can explain exactly to our soldiers what our mission is and what we will be doing in October."
| Date Taken: | 08.13.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2011 19:01 |
| Story ID: | 75337 |
| Location: | BRYAN, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Guard task force leaders conduct professional development, by SGT Suzanne Carter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
