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 | April 17, 2008

Army Rehearses for Hurricane Season

By Andrew Sharbel Belvoir Eagle

FORT BELVOIR, Va. - Officials from 43 government agencies gathered around a detailed map here April 10 for a Rehearsal of Concept drill on hurricane relief operations.

U.S. Army North hosted the two-day event, which saw the various agencies go through the steps of readying assistance in the event of a major hurricane hitting North Carolina or Virginia.

According to U.S. Army officials, the ROC drill was held to ensure policies and procedures are sufficient to set the framework for the Army's response and readiness for the 2008 hurricane season.

Officials from agencies such as the Department of the Army, ARNORTH, the Army National Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were present to summarize some of the procedures discussed throughout the day.

Brig. Gen. Fran Mahon, deputy commanding general, ARNORTH, noted the importance of rehearsing the different scenarios that may be encountered during a natural disaster.

"The drill we are doing here allows us to do gap analysis so we can look at each state's capabilities and plans," Mahon said. "This allows us to devise pre-scripted mission assignments for a crisis or when a storm hits."

Brig. Gen. Leodis Jennings, the Army National Guard's operations officer, outlined the process of hurricane preparation.

"The first response in the case of a crisis is from local officials," Jennings said. "If they determine they need assistance, then they request it from the state and, from there, the governor decides whether or not to call federal agencies in to help.

"If we're called for assistance, we'll begin strategically positioning assets for support," Jennings said.

Jennings also noted that the Army National Guard is always prepared to mobilize assets to support civil officials.

Holmes Walters of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said his agency is responsible for providing support to shore up the infrastructure in the event of a natural disaster.

"Under the national response framework, the USACE is responsible for public works and engineering," Walters said. "We are in charge of supplying contracting, real estate support, construction management and technical assistance to the affected area.

"We also provide temporary emergency power generation and install, maintain and operate them," Walters added.

Tom Davies, senior federal coordinating official from FEMA Region III, noted that FEMA has become a much more aggressive agency in light of the aftermath of Katrina. The federal government has invested money and manpower into making a much stronger agency.

"FEMA is not going to fail again," Davies said. "We'll do whatever we need to do to support the state."

Jennings closed by noting that emergency response is a team effort.

"We're all about taking care of the citizens of this country," he said.

(Sharbel is a staff writer for the Belvoir Eagle.)

 

 

Related Articles
A U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the 146th Airlift Wing marshals a C-130H Hercules at the Combat Readiness and Training Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, Feb. 5, 2025. Exercise Sentry South-Southern Strike is a joint military training focusing on contingency response operations, agile combat employment, aeromedical evacuation, maritime training, specialized fueling operations and strategic airlift and airdrops.
Air Guard Conducts Sentry South-Southern Strike Exercise
By Senior Airman Shardae McAfee, | Feb. 7, 2025
GULFPORT, Miss. – Approximately 500 service members from the Active, Guard and Reserve components of the U.S. military participated in exercise Sentry South-Southern Strike 2025 at the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training...

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jack A. James Jr., right, the commander of the New York National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division, speaks with Swedish Army soldiers during the division’s Warfighter 25-3 exercise at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., Jan. 31, 2025. The Swedish soldiers’ participation with the New York Army National Guardsmen during Warfighter Exercise 25-3 marks their second visit with the 42nd Infantry Division and their first experience working with the United States in a division-level warfighter exercise.
Swedish Soldiers Train with 42nd Infantry Division Partners
By Sgt. Grace Nechanicky, | Feb. 7, 2025
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Four Swedish army service members spent time with the 42nd Infantry Division learning about large-scale combat operations during a warfighting exercise from Jan. 24 to Feb. 8.The Swedish soldiers’...

Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Day retrieves simulated blood supplies delivered by a blueflite drone while Sgt. Benjamin Keikkala provides security during a field training exercise at Camp Rilea, Oregon, Jan. 30, 2025. The innovative drone delivery system demonstrated rapid resupply capabilities for combat medics in tactical environments.
Oregon Guard Combat Medics Test Drone Delivery of Supplies
By Maj. Wayne Clyne, | Feb. 6, 2025
WARRENTON, Ore. - Combat medics with the Oregon National Guard are adapting their battlefield medicine skills for large-scale combat operations through innovative training, including drone-delivered medical supplies at Camp...