LAS VEGAS - As revelers braved strong winds and unusually cold weather this New Year’s Eve, about 200 Nevada National Guardmembers conducted their ninth annual Vigilant Sentinel exercise and provided additional security for the celebration in support of southern Nevada’s civilian authorities.
“This exercise provides an excellent opportunity for us to train with and support the civil authorities,” said Army Lt. Col. Cory Shultz, the support operations officer with the17th Sustainment Brigade, Task Force South.
Soldiers with the 72nd Military Police Company and the 240th Engineer Company practiced security measures in several locations throughout the city.
The drainage system that travels under Las Vegas Boulevard, also called The Strip, was one of the locations. With more than 300,000 travelers visiting the city and thousands of partygoers celebrating just above the drainage system, it made security even more important in that area.
“This is a good mission being it’s the end of the year and this is a accumulation of everything we have been doing throughout the whole year,” said Army Sgt. Joseph Irenze, 72nd MP Co.
The Soldiers who patrolled the McCarran International Airport were the most visible to the public.
“This is the most hands-on, real-world law-and-order training we get,” said Army Staff Sgt. Jason Steele, 72nd MP Co. “We are out in the public and we get to shadow the police officers here in the airport seeing what they do. It makes for some great training for not only the Soldiers, but also the police officers get to work with us as well.”
The 17th Sustainment Brigade provided the command element and much of the support for the exercise, which focused primarily on liaison with the civil authorities and overall communications.
“Although the individual Soldiers are getting some excellent training at their level, it is our ability to plan and coordinate with our higher headquarters, subordinate command elements, civil authorities and civilian law enforcement that makes this a key exercise for the Nevada Guard,” Shultz said.
Shultz added that community exposure for the Soldiers provided vital training experience and interaction with the public.
“It is also our ability to plan, mass and execute with the resources and logistical assets we need to support our Soldiers out there in case we are called upon by civil authorities. That is where I see the largest piece of this exercise because very rarely do the staff level Soldiers get the opportunity to take part in training like this.”
Civilians appreciated the added security.
“We have a lot of people coming in for the celebration here and the National Guard Soldiers give everyone an added sense of security,” said Reshad James, a shopkeeper in the McCarran International Airport.
“I really like having the Soldiers patrolling through here,” James said.