KENAI, Alaska - Approximately 60 North Carolina National Guardsmen are participating in a statewide emergency response exercise. They traveled via the scenic Alaskan highways to establish Joint Task Force Tarheel here today.
From Carolina blue skies and streets covered in a yellow haze, to rocky snow covered mountains and frosted Alaskan forests, each member of the unit was excited to be in Alaska and to participate in the Alaska National Guard's Vigilant Guard 2010 exercise.
The Vigilant Guard exercise is a component of a state-wide exercise combining the State of Alaska's Alaska Shield exercise and the Joint Task Force Alaska's Arctic Edge exercise. The exercise simulates a large-scale earthquake and is designed to test state and local civil authorities capabilities.
"We have mountains in North Carolina, but nothing like this," said Army Staff Sgt. Stephen McCullen, JTF Tarheel human resources non-commissioned officer. "This is definitely god's country."
JTF Tarheel service members enjoyed the picturesque 200-mile drive from the Kulis Air National Guard Base, Anchorage, Alaska, to the Kenai Alaska Army National Guard Armory. Cameras flashed as the convoy passed a family of moose along side a busy urban street and the excitement continued when several doll sheep were spotted on the rocky cliffs paralleling the coastline.
"Alaska is amazing and beautiful with so much to see," said Spc. Jeremy Stancil, JTF Tarhheel intelligence analyst.
Despite the beautiful Alaskan scenery the service members remained focused on their mission and the reason they were deployed in support of the exercise.
"This is something that we should be prepared for and could be a likely scenario," said Stancil. "Real world experience is the best training."
Stancil will be conducting intelligence missions during the exercise that will enable his commander to make decisions based on accurate and up to date information.
"We are ready and excited anytime our unit gets a call to help out a state or community," said McCullen. "We want to support our state and command and to do something special for people in need."
JTF Tarheel landed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage April 23. The unit was then transported to Kulis Air National Guard base where they began preparing for the exercise.
JTF Tarheel includes service members from the Joint Forces Headquarter-North Carolina, 60th Troop Command and subordinate units and 263rd Combat Communications Squadron, North Carolina Air National Guard.