CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – The Washington National Guard’s Joint Operations Center was assessed during a June 26 World Cup game on how the state was using Project Homeland, a long-term modernization initiative designed to improve how the National Guard supports governors and civil authorities during domestic operations.
“The goal of the assessments is to learn about any gaps or improvements that can be put in place to assist states with the systems moving forward,” said Ken Flowers, National Guard Bureau chief information officer/J6’s chief tech officer and division chief, J65 National Guard Bureau, who visited the Joint Operations Center for the assessment.
Every emergency begins with a race against time. Whether responding to a major earthquake, a rapidly growing wildfire, catastrophic flooding or providing security during one of the world's largest sporting events, emergency managers and military leaders must quickly collect information, understand a constantly changing situation and coordinate resources across dozens of organizations.
With an emphasis on public safety through a coordinated effort, the National Guard Bureau launched Project Homeland in 2020. Project Homeland came from the National Guard's recognition that homeland response required many of the same capabilities being developed through the Department of War’s Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or CJADC2, initiative of rapid information sharing, integrated command and control and a common operational picture, but tailored specifically for domestic missions. Rather than creating new response organizations, Project Homeland focuses on modernizing how existing Guard capabilities communicate, share information and make decisions during complex emergencies.
The effort seeks to improve interoperability among the National Guard, state emergency management agencies, local first responders and federal partners, ensuring everyone operates from a shared understanding of an incident.
“Washington was one of the first nine states to receive access and training for the World Cup games,” Flowers said.
Instead of switching among numerous systems to monitor weather, transportation networks, resource availability, infrastructure impacts and requests for assistance, Project Homeland brings it together in one place. The system allows commanders and emergency managers to spend less time gathering data and more time making informed decisions during rapidly evolving situations.
"The technology doesn't make decisions for us – it helps us make better decisions and gives us a common operating picture," said Maj. Pierre Matte, Joint Force Headquarters project lead.
Throughout the tournament, the Washington National Guard's Joint Operations Center shared a common operational picture, enhancing situational awareness and improving coordination between military and civilian emergency managers.
"Having a common operational picture allows everyone to work from the same information, improving coordination when every minute counts,” Matte said. “We can see where our troops are located, what resources are available and if there are any situations in need of support.”
Seattle has 95 National Guard members supporting the World Cup games, including multiple Civil Support Teams working directly with Seattle Fire and Rescue.
While the World Cup marks the system's first operational use in Washington, National Guard Bureau officials already are looking beyond the tournament.
“Working alongside U.S. Northern Command, the National Guard Bureau is pursuing efforts to retain this capability after the World Cup,” Flowers said.