HAGATNA, Guam - Members of the Guam National Guard recently participated in Kontra I Piligru, a two-day training exercise that tested the abilities of local first responders and the Guam Guard.
The exercise involved the Guam Guard's 94th Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction), the Port Authority of Guam, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Guam Fire Department, the Guam Police Department and other agencies.
The exercise was intended to promote integration of the 94th CST with local and federal response agencies in reaction to multiple events and venues, and to a terrorist event in a maritime environment, said Army Lt. Col. Joseph Limtiaco, commander of the 94th CST.
"Among the overarching purposes of this exercise were to strengthen relationships between our response partners, as well as promote learning situations through tactical operations that will challenge us in a maritime setting like this," Limtiaco said. "It was good to see the port authority and other first responders take advantage of this training opportunity and were able test their own systems and procedures alongside each other."
Kontra I Piligru also allowed the first responders and other agencies involved to test the practical application of the National Incident Management System and Incident Command System, according to officials.
This is the first of what is planned to be an annual maritime exercise for the Civil Support Team members, said Army Capt. Joseph Connelley, deputy commander of the 94th CST.
The first day of the exercise involved two barrels containing unknown chemicals washing onto the port's beach area. Local first responders were called in to cordon off the area and assess the type of chemicals found, while the U.S. Coast Guard secured the perimeter on the water.
Once the vessel was secured, members of the 94th CST's survey team were brought in to assess the type of chemicals that were on board the vessel.
Five members of the 64th Civil Support Team, from the New Mexico National Guard, also joined to augment the Guam Guard members throughout the training exercise. Four members of the 42nd Civil Support Team, North Carolina National Guard, were also on hand assisting as observers/controllers during the exercise.