TRUCKEE, Calif. - Soldiers from the California National Guard's 95th Civil Support Team recently participated in a weeklong multi-agency winter field training exercise as a way to strengthen the partnership between federal, state and local agencies while responding to a large-scale threat.
Operation Red Snow, which was based around a training scenario of responding to a terrorist organization constructing weapons of mass destruction and formulating plans of attack against the state, drew more than 30 mutual aid partners across three separate emergency disciplines and locations throughout California.
"This is a tactical training event with a primary focus on execution and operation decision making," said Army 1st Lt. Edward Baon, the medical operations officer for the 95th CST and exercise director for Operation Red Snow. "This is not supervisor training, but a focused exercise on individual, section, team and tactical incident command. Tactical decisions have consequences and run their course in this event, under real time, day and night, and all-weather conditions."
This allows the participants' actions to dictate subsequent events after the opening scenario has been established, and is as close to real-world as possible, Baon said.
During the training scenario, first responders from the Truckee and Placer County Fire Departments called in the 95th CST after responding to a call at the Truckee Glider Airport to find a 55-gallon drum of a simulated unidentified substance and several individuals who were acting as casualties affected by the substance.
Once the 95th CST was onsite, the teams established a command post and decontamination site and began agency integration to secure the perimeter.
"We've been tasked to survey the site and rescue the person downrange," said Army Sgt. Joshua Gould, entry team chief assigned to the 95th CST, as he donned his gas mask and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear protective suit. "We're going to wear our Level-A ensemble, which is one of the highest levels of protection we have, because of the unknown substance."
The 95th CST entry team also conducted multiple trips to a simulated terrorist training camp in the Sierra Mountains, showcasing the unit's capabilities to assist, identify, advise and assess the CBRN threat, said Army Staff Sgt. Garrick Whitley, the reconnaissance noncommissioned officer in charge.
"After completing our first recon of the site, we assessed the photos from the scene and found evidence of propaganda, maps and potential weapons of mass destruction from the lab," said Army Staff Sgt. Esteban Peralta, entry team chief assigned to the 95th CST. "We are preparing to return to gather samples of the [simulated] substance suspected to be ricin."
After analyzing the samples, the team then shared the information with other agencies.
"When we receive the samples from the site, we extract the DNA to determine if the substance really is ricin," said Army Staff Sgt. Aaron Zuniga, a science and healthcare specialist assigned to the 95th Civil Support Team. "We make samples for our records and supply the FBI with samples for their analysis as well."
The exercise wrapped up with an after-action meeting allowing members from all agencies involved to offer suggestions, provide praise and answer any questions that stemmed from the training exercise.
"I see a lot of areas where things need improvement and I see a lot of areas where things have worked out great," Baon said. "Everything we're doing here is a learning experience, so I think the next exercise we do will be even bigger and better.
Overall, Baon said he was pleased with how well the different levels of agencies worked together and said training opportunities such as these are "evidence of the growing public safety partnership the 95th [CST] is cultivating with our civilian counterparts and first responders."