Courtesy Photo | ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – APG Garrison Commander Col. Phil Mundweil speaks with...... read more read more
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – APG tested its emergency response time, recovery systems, and capabilities during its triennial full-scale exercise April 24, 2024.
“The exercise assesses the readiness of all protection functional elements within the garrison, with mission partners on the installation, and with local partners from off-installation jurisdictions,” said Col. Phil Mundweil, APG garrison commander.
There were multiple scenarios in play throughout the exercise to test the process in place to manage and resolve crises and see a visible manifestation of responders doing their jobs under realistic conditions, while managed by an established Emergency Operations Center, said Mundweil.
The scenarios were based on threats considered to be a priority against the installation, including catastrophic weather, adversary intrusion, and cyber disruption, said Mundweil, who added there are a whole host of other disruptions that could require cross-installation synchronization and action.
Destructive weather is one of the top three threats facing APG, as evident from the extreme winter weather that has led to the multiple installation closures and a summer storm that produced extensive damage to installation buildings and housing while causing power outages, this makes these exercises that much more important.
“These exercises cost a lot in terms of leader time and real dollars, but they are worth it to maintain our capacity to respond when called,” said Mundweil.
The exercise had been in the works for almost a year, said Anthony Williams, lead exercise planner and operations specialist, Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security. As part of the exercise, APG included role players tailored for each scenario.
“We had approximately 20 role players from the garrison, mission partner organizations, and the Maryland National Guard - Freestate ChalleNGe Academy,” said Williams. “Participants played the role of casualties, family members, persons needing assistance, witnesses, concerned citizens, and organizational representatives from on and off post entities.”
Mundweil noted it’s one thing to practice procedures notionally on paper, but having an exercise where the pieces are moving is quite different.
“The rigor of having to perform tasks at speed and amidst competing requirements makes the live aspect of a full-scale exercise so valuable for overall learning,” said Mundweil.
Part of the planning was coordinating assistance with many mutual aid partners including the U.S. Army Core of Engineers, Harford County Emergency Services, Baltimore Gas and Electric, the American Red Cross and the Maryland Department of Emergency Management.
Mundweil shared his appreciation for the surrounding communities who participated in the exercise.
“We benefited from a challenging scenario that required coordination for Mutual Aid from our great partners in Harford County, coordination with Mission Partners, and scrutiny of our processes and procedures,” he said.
The training objectives heading into the exercise focused on the garrison’s ability to react, shorten the duration, and recover from the situation’s impacts, and they were completed successfully.
“The desired outcome was a true stress test of the protection functional elements, and it absolutely was achieved,” said Mundweil.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2024 15:48 |
| Story ID: | 469902 |
| Location: | ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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