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 27, 2012

Montana Air Guard unit's asset makes disaster communication simpler

By Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Eric Peterson 120th Fighter Wing

GREAT FALLS, Mont. - Since 2007, the 120th Communications Flight has operated a vehicle containing communications equipment that is able to respond to natural disasters or other emergencies occurring within Montana.

The Continuity of Operations Project vehicle is a Montana Air National Guard asset that can link on-scene emergency responders with command and control centers located anywhere in the country. Important decisions can then be made once the near real-time video is transmitted and studied by the command staff.

In addition to being able to stream internet video from the remotely controlled pan/tilt camera, the COOP truck offers Voice-Over-Internet Protocol telephone service, numerous radio bands, and the ability to set up video teleconferencing for emergency personnel at the deployed location.

The 120th Communications Flight commander, Air Force Lt. Col. Corey Halvorson, considers the communications technology offered by the COOP truck to be a valuable addition to any emergency response.

"Accurate and timely communication is the key to success in any contingency operation," Halvorson said. "The COOP truck with its unique capabilities is a tool for command and control to ensure mission success and aids greatly in the preservation of life and property."

The 120th cyber transport noncommissioned officer in charge, Air Force Master Sgt. Chris Wilson, said the high-tech services offered by the COOP truck are requested often to be used for training during exercises and real-world emergency events.

"Today, wireless internet is becoming such a big issue. Everyone needs to get on the internet," Wilson said. "Whether you need maps or the ability to stream real-time video of the scene, everybody's going to need to get online. So we have the capability to hard wire to a laptop sitting in a tent or broadcast a wireless signal so people can still use their cell phones and wireless laptop computers to access the information they need."

According to the assistant cyber transport noncommissioned officer in charge, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ray Cozino, the truck also offers an outstanding opportunity for 120th personnel to train on modern communications equipment. So far, eight of the 120th Communications Flight personnel have been fully trained in the operation of the truck and its high-tech equipment.

The COOP truck and its personnel have participated in 12 exercises and real-world events, including two major forest fires. Its services were well received by personnel assigned to the 120th Medical Group during the Vigilant Guard exercise held in Helena in 2009.

The communications personnel set up and operated the COOP truck equipment at Fort Harrison during the four-day exercise.

"One of the more challenging exercises that we participated in was the Vigilant Guard exercise, which was for a whole FEMA region, so there were a lot of different entities involved and it really put our truck to the test," Cozino said. "We were tasked with providing communications for the Medical Group as they ran through all their different scenarios. We ran four Guardsmen through the truck and trained them and provided 24-hour communications for the duration of the exercise."

Agencies responding to the scene of an emergency can often find that they use dissimilar radios broadcasting over different frequencies. The COOP truck can receive all of the frequencies and retransmit back to each radio in a signal common to all of the agencies.

"The radio world is so complex, whether it's a forest fire and you're dealing with the Forest Service and local volunteer fire departments and the local sheriff's office that [are] providing roadblocks and security;" Wilson said. "Those agencies are all operating on different frequencies and different bands of radios. With this truck, we're able to make all those people communicate more effectively and efficiently."

Local, state and federal agencies can benefit from the services of the COOP truck during an exercise or a real-world emergency. The Montana Air National Guard maintains memorandum of agreements to assist Malmstrom Air Force Base; the Montana Army National Guard; the Great Falls Police Department; the Great Falls Fire and Rescue; the Cascade County Sherriff's Office; the Disaster and Emergency Services, and the Great Falls International Airport.

Wilson said the COOP truck is one of only four specialized military vehicles with the capability to provide communications support in the event of a natural disaster in the state.

The Montana Army National Guard also operates a nearly identical COOP truck which allows for cooperative training to occur between the Guard units.

 

 

Related Articles
Swedish Army Lt. Col. Fredrik Mansson, the chief of operations for the Swedish 1st Division Headquarters, speaks with an officer of the New York National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division during the division’s Warfighter exercise at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 3, 2025. Mansson and other Swedish leaders were visiting the exercise to learn from the New York Guardsmen. From Sept. 16-23, 2025, New York National Guard operations experts will be in Sweden helping Mansson and their other Swedish counterparts conduct their first-ever division-level command post exercise.
New York Guard to Help Sweden With Division-Level Command Post Exercise
By Eric Durr, | Sept. 5, 2025
LATHAM, New York - Six New York Army National Guard officers and an Air Guard master sergeant are heading to Sweden to help the Swedish Army’s 1st Division conduct its first-ever division staff command post exercise.Before...

A Utah Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker refuels several Royal Thai Air Force F-16’s during an air refueling mission, while training the RTAF pilots how to perform in-air-refueling during Enduring Partners on Aug. 20, 2025 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. Enduring Partners is an exchange that builds joint readiness by integrating U.S. and Thai forces in mission areas including ground-controlled interception, cyber, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, tactical air control party, and space.
Utah Air Guard Strengthens Regional Partnerships at Enduring Partners 2025
By Master Sgt. Nicholas Perez, | Sept. 5, 2025
KORAT AIR BASE, Thailand — The Utah Air National Guard played a crucial role in Enduring Partners 2025, a multinational exchange designed to bolster readiness and interoperability between U.S. and Thai forces.Now in its third...

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Gary Keefe, the Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard, coins U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jennifer Green, commander of the 110th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in Zagan, Poland, May 23, 2025. Deployed to Poland in October 2024, Soldiers of the 110th CSSB led a multi-component task force responsible for sustaining the continuous flow of critical supplies to NATO allies and partners across eight Eastern European countries.
Massachusetts Guard Soldiers Return From NATO Support Mission in Poland
By Senior Airman Julia Ahaesy, | Sept. 5, 2025
ZAGAN, Poland - Soldiers of the Massachusetts Army National Guard’s 1060th Transportation Company have returned from a deployment to Poland, where they played a critical role in supporting U.S. military logistics and NATO...