Engineer company showcases search and evacuation during Vibrant Response 13

Sgt. Alex Gaboric, a military police Soldier from the 811th Engineer Company, an Ohio National Guard unit from Tarlton, and Tech. Sgt. Ashley Blackburn, an Airman and combat medic assigned to the engineer company, apply a back brace onto a survivor of a simulated nuclear-blast area during the Vibrant Response 13 field training exercise July 26 at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind. During the weeklong training, approximately 5,000 servicemembers and civilians will participated in the exercise, which is designed to conduct lifesaving and life-sustaining missions, provide logistics support to a theater of operations and perform technical chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear consequence management tasks and civil support plans. Photo by Sgt. Terence Ewings, 24th Press Camp Headquarters.

Sgt. Terence Ewings,
24th Press Camp Headquarters:

Editor’s note: Soldiers of Fort Bliss’ 24th Press Camp Headquarters are participating in Vibrant Response 13, a multi-service and civilian combined training event, which includes responding to a nuclear blast, throughout Indiana and Kentucky.

Servicemembers assigned to the 811th Engineer Company, an Ohio National Guard unit from Tarlton, showcased their search and evacuation skills at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., during the Vibrant Response 13 field training exercise July 26.

Soldiers and Airmen treated and evacuated casualties from a simulated nuclear-contaminated area during the training exercise, which was conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North.

“My Soldiers are the best at what they do,” said 2nd Lt. Chris Brandt, the officer in charge of the search and evacuation team. “As a team, we work very well together and know what we need to do, so we go out and execute; we help save lives.”

As part of Joint Task Force Civil Support, the 811th stands ready to deploy in country, conducting search and evacuation operations in support of the Defense Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Response Force mission.

“We can perform the basic functions of any military engineer company; the difference is we also train to be an effective search and evacuation team,” said Brandt. “We know we can do the job to save as many lives as possible, and it’s one of those things that make you feel good about putting on the uniform.”

Military police Soldiers assigned to the 811th Engineer Company, an Ohio National Guard unit from Tarlton, check an abandoned mobile home complex for possible casualties of a nuclear attack during the Vibrant Response 13 field training exercise July 26 at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind. The National Guardsmen were responsible for treating and evacuating the causalities during the simulated event. Photo by Sgt. Terence Ewings, 24th Press Camp Headquarters.

The National Guard unit participates in monthly training exercises and the annual Vibrant Response events to maintain their lifesaving skills and unit readiness.

Throughout the weeklong training, approximately 5,000 servicemembers and civilians will participate in the exercise, which is designed to conduct lifesaving and life-sustaining missions, provide logistics support to a theater of operations and perform technical CBRN consequence management tasks and civil support plans.

Tech. Sgt. Ashley Blackburn, an Airman and combat medic assigned to the engineer company, said she believes this type of training is vital in keeping a unit ready for possible man-made or natural disasters.

“I love participating in these types of training exercises,” said Blackburn. “Not only do we get an opportunity to work with other [military] branches, but we also get to train up on tactics that are designed to help people and save lives.”

Throughout the next week, the 811th Engineer Company continued to support JTF-CS while conducting the Vibrant Response exercise.

JTF-CS, headed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., is the command and control element for DCRF.