Joint HRF exercise strengthens regional emergency response readiness

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Soldiers assigned to the New York and New Jersey Homeland Response Force trained alongside the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 3rd Civil Support Team and 108th Area Support Medical Company on May 29 at Fort Indiantown Gap to enhance their ability to respond to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents.

The multi-state exercise focused on casualty decontamination, patient extraction and medical response operations in a simulated hazardous environment.

During the exercise, service members processed contaminated casualties through a decontamination line before transferring them to medical personnel for treatment and evaluation.

The training brought together personnel from the New York Army National Guard’s 153rd Troop Command Brigade, the New York Air National Guard’s 107th Attack Wing and the New Jersey Army National Guard’s 104th Brigade Engineer Battalion.

“There is a target in our state and Region II is probably one of the most high-profile regions that something could happen in,” said Col. William F. Snyder, Region II Homeland Response Force commander.

The Homeland Response Force is designed to provide rapid response capabilities in support of civil authorities during domestic emergencies involving chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

“Some of us in this unit lived through 9/11, and that’s one of the reasons this whole CBRN Response Enterprise exists,” said Snyder.

“There is reality here when it comes to being prepared to respond,” he added.

Training alongside partner organizations allows Soldiers to refine response procedures and maintain readiness for large-scale domestic incidents.

By training together, response personnel strengthen their ability to rapidly support communities during emergencies.