An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Nov. 22, 2019

Hawaii National Guard in Guam for Vigilant Guard 2020 exercise

By Tech. Sgt. Andrew Jackson Hawaii National Guard

GUAM – The Hawaii National Guard participated in the final Vigilant Guard disaster response exercise of the year in Guam in late November.

Those making the trip included the 93rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (CST) and the Medical Detachment 1 section of its Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRNE) Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) section.

Vigilant Guard is a series of exercises held annually in each Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) region. The training program, sponsored by U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) with the National Guard Bureau, enables civilian-military first responders and emergency management personnel to evaluate their capabilities in the most realistic, large-scale disaster scenarios possible. This is the second time Vigilant Guard has been held in Guam.

“It is important for the 93rd CST to participate in Vigilant Guard because we operate in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) area of operations and, based on our island location and geography, we need to be able to respond to other locations and support our brethren here in Guam,” said Capt. Nathaniel J Calio, 93rd CST, operations officer. “We gain the opportunity to increase our interoperability with other partners through this exercise.”

For the FEMA Region 9 iteration of Vigilant Guard, the scenario was a Category 5 hurricane and a domestic terrorism plot. Guam’s first responders and the Guam National Guard had to seek support from outside the territory. Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Alaska and Utah provided help in the form of Homeland Emergency Readiness Response Force (HERF), CERFP and CST units. These units consist of specially trained Soldiers and Airmen who help reduce human suffering and mitigate risk, and a vast array of equipment and vehicles. All the equipment and manpower was airlifted to Guam as it would be in a real disaster.

“For this response, we were fortunate to do a unit fly away,” said Sgt. 1st Class Chalcedony Silva, 93rd CST, Logistics NCO. “We brought four of our vehicles, one being our communication vehicle, which allows us to establish communications and access to the internet. We were also able to bring the survey vehicle, which contains monitoring and sampling equipment.”

“Hawaii’s readiness increases when we participate in exercises like Vigilant Guard because we get to interact with different agencies and other units,” said Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Baqui, 93rd CST, CBRNE NCO. “It forces us to step outside our comfort zone and mesh with other people and figure out new operational procedures and tactics to solve a complex problem.”

In the scenario, Hawaii’s CERFP Medical Airmen provided casualty collection, triage and decontamination support to a collapsed structure where there was a chemical contamination.

Organizers of Vigilant Guard strive to keep each exercise as realistic as possible to push responders and expose potential shortfalls so participating organizations do not become complacent.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group prepare dummies for a simulated casualty evacuation at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, July 17, 2025. The 108th Medical Company engaged in a weeklong field medical exercise to validate their readiness and elevate their medical and basic Soldier skills. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Christopher Booker)
Pennsylvania Guard Medics Simulate Chaos in Exercise
By Capt. Christopher Booker, | July 18, 2025
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Soldiers assigned to the Pennsylvania National Guard's 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group, are engaged in a comprehensive two-week field medical exercise here.The...

Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Maintenance Group and 152nd Logistics Readiness Squadron personnel load Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) equipment onto MAFFS #8, aircraft #554 at the Nevada Air National Guard Base on July 12, 2025. U.S. Northern Command activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) Aircraft, one from the 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in California. Two C-130 aircraft equipped with MAFFS and their associated personnel will support firefighting efforts in the Western United States. The 152nd Airlift Wing’s “High Rollers” and 146th Airlift Wing's “Hollywood Guard” report on July 14, 2025, and will be initially based out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Base in California and are anticipated to be in place through August 14, 2025.
Nevada Air Guard Wing Assists in Firefighting Efforts
By Senior Master Sgt. Paula Macomber, | July 18, 2025
RENO, Nev. – U.S. Northern Command has activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System Aircraft, one from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of...

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the adjutant general of Texas, for an aerial assessment of flood-affected areas in Central Texas and to visit Guardsmen on duty supporting civil authorities with response efforts, Kerrville, Texas, July 15, 2025. To date, National Guard search and rescue operations, led by the Texas National Guard, have resulted in the rescue of more than 525 Texans. Hundreds of Guardsmen remain on mission to continue working with interagency partners in search and rescue and recovery operations.
Nordhaus, Raines see Heroism, Partnerships in Central Texas
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely, | July 18, 2025
KERRVILLE, Texas – Early on July 4, almost 30 inches of rain fell within hours across Central Texas’s Hill Country, surging the Guadalupe River and triggering catastrophic flash flooding.Within hours, Texas National Guard...