Collective Strength in New England Guard

30 September 2011 » By Staff Sgt. Erin Brogan

As members of the National Guard, we are sensitive to the fact that if our state needs us, we are there to help.  It’s more than a job, or even patriotism; it’s personal—It’s about protecting our families and our neighbors.  When the call came down from the Maine National Guard that New England was looking to put together a special team to assist each other in the case of an extreme emergency, members of the Rhode Island National Guard jumped at the chance, including 35 personnel from the 143d Airlift Wing Medical Group and 60 from the 861st Engineer Company.

“It is very significant to represent Rhode Island as extensively as we are in the region.  There a lot of smart, motivated people here.  It’s pretty impressive what they do,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Duggan, Officer in Charge of the 143d Medical Group CERF-P element. 

The team is called CERF-P, or CBRN Emergency Response Force Package, and consists of elements from the Rhode Island, Maine, and New Hampshire National Guard.  Although agencies currently exist to aid in disaster relief including triage and search and extraction,  none have the capability of causality recovery and triaging with decontamination factors. 

According to Lt. Col. Randall Holbrook, the New England CERF-P Commander with the Maine National Guard, each of the three state Guards brings a particular specialty to the mission; Maine provides command and control, New Hampshire and Rhode Island provide triage, decontamination and causality search and extraction support.  If an incident were to occur that overwhelmed the local and state ability to help its citizens, especially a situation involving contaminants, the team would be requested by the governor and The Adjutant General (TAG) of that state.

“It really provides a capability that is not there now on the local level,” said Lt. Col. Holbrook.  “We can bring personnel in full decontamination outfits into a site, into a collapsed structure that is contaminated, and bring those causalities out.”

The CERF-P first became tasked in October of 2010, leaving a very small window of opportunity to train.  Each soldier and airman went through extensive training, individually logging approximately 80 hours in seven days.  The first time all three states came together for a collective exercise was the week of August 7, 2011 and the second time will be at their evaluation in October of this year. 

“One issue that keeps coming up is finding, funding to continue our training.  We have the ball rolling now and we don’t want to lose momentum,” Lt. Col. Holbrook said.  “It’s an incredible asset for the region.”
“They’re doing really well,” said Sergeant 1st Class Shannon Braswell, a CERF-P Decontamination Non Commissioned Officer with the Florida Army National Guard acting in an observation position overseeing the exercise.  “With a brand new mission like this, you never know what to expect.  The majority of the equipment is not typical military equipment; it’s commercial, off-the-shelf stuff.  For the first time having to put your hands on it, working with it…and civilian causalities—it’s something we don’t do a whole lot of.”
Sgt. Braswell added, “They’re picking up really quick and asking the right questions.  Everybody is really motivated.”

On August 10th, the three states began their first joint exercise modeled after a potential civilian real-world scenario.  Set in Bangor, Maine to test the response time of the New Hampshire and Rhode Island Guard, a blood bank had an explosion that eventually encompassed a two-mile radius.  The scenario became larger than the local fire departments could handle due to medical and chemical contaminants in the air and ground from the hospital and local hardware and grocery stores.

“They had that first decontamination structure up in 30 seconds on scene,” Lt. Col. Duggan said.
Lt. Col. Holbrook pointed out just how impressive the collective efforts of the New England CERF-P truly are.  In the event of a natural or man-made disaster, every day contaminants can become deadly for a victim such as medical waste, insecticides, and industrial chemicals. Each of the team members have the capability of being on site within a maximum of 12 hours.

“Regardless of the contamination, we have the capabilities that if there is a hurricane or flood in the region, we can provide that onsite rescue and medical triage,” he said. “We have right here seven full-time doctors, we have nurses, and we have EMTs.  Then we have extraction and decontamination personnel that can rescue casualties, move them to triage, and then move them on for further care.” 

“We’re here to support the Incident Commander, which is usually the local first responder such as fire department or law enforcement. Whatever the case we are here to support them, under the will of the governor of that state,” Lt. Col. Holbrook said.  “In natural disasters, if the event has exceeded the local capacity and the governor needs us, we are available.”

Presidential Proclamation

National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week 2011

20 September 2011 » By President Barack Obama

Since September 11, 2001, the 9/11 Generation has borne the burden of war with courage and valor, continuing the legacy of the brave men and women who served before them.  More than five million volunteers have worn our country's uniform over the past 10 years, and thousands have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Making up nearly half of our military power, the National Guard and Reserve are vital to our operations at home and abroad.

During America's struggle for independence, ordinary individuals in small towns across the colonies banded together to confront an empire.  Today, their spirit lives on in the Guard and Reserve.  The members of our National Guard and Reserve demonstrate the dignity and selflessness that are at the core of the American spirit.  These patriots serve not only in combat, but also when disaster strikes at home, offering a strong hand to victims of floods, tornadoes, and fires across America.

The employers who provide jobs to our Guard and Reserve members when they are home are also vital to our success.  Many of these businesses go above and beyond, offering tremendous support to service members and their families during deployments.  We are deeply grateful for their work, and this week, we celebrate not only our service members, veterans, and military families, but also their devoted employers.

The extraordinary service of our Guard and Reserve members would not be possible without the unwavering support and care provided by their families and civilian employers.  To help connect our service members, veterans, and their families to the opportunities they deserve, the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden announced Joining Forces, a comprehensive national initiative to support and honor these patriots.  As part of this initiative, we issued a challenge to private sector employers to hire or train 100,000 unemployed veterans or their spouses.  We have also proposed tax credits for businesses that hire our returning heroes -- they fought for our country, and the last thing they should have to do is fight for a job when they come home.

This week, we remember our obligations to each other, and we pay tribute to the employers of our Guardsmen and Reservists whose support and flexibility is vital to the strength of our military.  The United States is at its strongest when we live up to our sacred duty to honor and care for our service members when they come home.  The support of employers across our country reflects the best of the American spirit -- the understanding that we are bound together to serve and protect our Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 18 through September 24, 2011, as National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week.  I call upon all Americans to join me in expressing our heartfelt thanks to the members of the National Guard and Reserve and their civilian employers.  I also call on State and local officials, private organizations, and all military commanders, to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

Presidential Proclamation for National ESGR

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense agency that seeks to promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees. We recognize outstanding support, increase awareness of the law, and resolve conflicts through mediation. Maine's ESGR office is located at Camp Keyes in Augusta.
www.esgr.org