LAS VEGAS - Army Sgt. Dale Peterman didn't pop champagne this New
Year's Eve. He didn't kiss his wife at midnight or watch "Dick Clark's New
Year's Rockin' Eve."
Peterman was a few blocks from Las Vegas Boulevard working in association
with local law enforcement for Vigilant Sentinel, the Nevada Guard's
highest-profile annual exercise.
"I like doing this exercise," said Peterman, of the 72nd Military Police
Company. "The mood of the partygoers changes quite a bit from when they
arrive at 8 p.m. and leave after midnight. The tempo is a bit different - a
little rowdier, a little louder."
An estimated 300,000 people flocked to Las Vegas for the New Year's Eve
celebration. About 150 Nevada Guardsmen trained with Las Vegas Metro Police
on their busiest night of the year.
"It's a serendipitous opportunity for us," said Lt. Col. Cory Schultz, the
commander of the exercise. "We get large crowds. We can't go out and assemble
a crowd of 300,000 people to use as a training tool. We get that here in Las
Vegas so it provides us with that chance to see how we would react to large
crowds and how we would get around. We find out what kind of impact that will
have on our functions. It also supports Metro here and what they're doing.
It provides additional eyes and ears for them."
Vigilant Sentinel was established in 2001 to provide increased security in
Las Vegas for the New Year's Eve festivities after the 9/11 attacks at the
World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
New York City, the only United States city with more partygoers than Las
Vegas for New Year's Eve, provided about 280 New York Guardsmen in and around
Time Square with similar security goals of Vigilant Sentinel.
"This is a very important exercise to maintain the safety," said Las Vegas
Metro Police Devin Ballard, of the counter terrorism bureau. "We enjoy
working with the Guard to maintain the safety."
Several units were involved in the exercise, including: 92nd Civil Support
Team, 72nd Military Police Company and the 152nd Security Forces Squadron.
Along with soldiers patrolling checkpoints and various metropolitan
positions, military policeman stood guard at the McCarran Airport.
"I feel more comfortable with the Soldiers helping out with the security,"
said Robert Beierschmitt, of Bullhead City, Ariz., who was picking up friends
at the airport when he noticed the Guard's presence. "Who wouldn't feel safer
with them? They do a great job."
But security training isn't the only purpose of Vigilant Sentinel.
Establishing a relationship with Las Vegas Metro Police - in preparation of
possible natural disasters or other homeland disturbances in the future - is
also a priority.
"I've learned a lot from Metro," said Army Pvt. Taylor Servin, a patrolling
Guard member for the New Year's Eve exercise. "My lifelong dream was to be a
Soldier. But I also always wanted to be a cop. This exercise gives me the
opportunity to do, and practice, both. I like that."