Alabama National Guard trains at Camp Atterbury

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Katherine Dowd | The marshaling yard is the heartbeat of equipment reception, storage and distribution for all units participating in Vibrant Response 13 at Camp Atterbury, Ind. Here vehicles are staged after being received at the marshaling yard. Units will come draw their vehicles for their missions during VR13. Once they have completed the mission, units turn the equipment and vehicles back into the marshaling yard for redeployment coordination.  

CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA, UNITED STATES

08.03.2012

Story by Sgt. Katherine Dowd 

167th Theater Sustainment Command

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. — Soldiers of the 167th Theater Sustainment Command, Fort McClellan, Ala., have joined forces with units from all services across the United States for their annual training during July and August. The 167th TSC is participating in exercise Vibrant Response 13, which is the largest of Department of Defense (DoD) exercise of this type to date.

Vibrant Response 13 is a training event led by U.S. Army North based at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. It is designed to exercise the DoD’s ability to deploy and sustain specialized military response forces when requested by civilian authorities. Their mission is to save lives and relieve human suffering in the event of a catastrophic Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) incident.

In the event of a major CBRN incident on homeland soil, the 167th TSC would deploy a team to provide theater support at the disaster area. Theater support includes coordinating food, ice, water, housing, equipment and vehicle distribution for the civilian and military forces responding to the event. This exercise provides the opportunity for the 167th to train on the critical functions they perform to support the mission.

“This is one of the few times that all response forces get to practice coordination and sustainment as a group,” said Maj. Timothy Bennett, Vibrant Response 13 Operations Officer-in-charge, 167th TSC forward element.

This year VR13 provides an environment for response forces to train on reacting to a catastrophic nuclear disaster.

“We are training on one of the most difficult scenarios for us to respond to,” said Bennett. “Doing so ensures that we’re trained for one of the worst things that could happen. By preparing for the worst we’re also prepared for those events that are less severe, but just as crucial.”

There are more than 9,000 military and civilian personnel working together during VR 13. Each force has its own mission during the year. They come together during the exercise to ensure they have a fluid and effective plan in the event they are called to respond to catastrophic disaster in the U.S.

“The exercise allows us to work directly with our strategic partners,” said Maj. William Weaver, support operations commodity management officer, 167th TSC forward element. “Doing so helps us identify and solve problems that arise. It also establishes strong relationships and gets each element used to working together.”

The 167th TSC is constantly training and preparing for quick and efficient reaction time to any mission they are called to perform. Vibrant Response 13 is one additional way they get to prepare for that call.

• Date Taken: 08.03.2012
• Date Posted: 08.03.2012 10:02
• Story ID: 92617
• Location: CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA, US
• Hometown: FORT MCCLELLAN, ALABAMA, US