Photo by Lisa Rodriguez-Presley
VIGILANT
GUARD
Testing communication, capabilities of
National Guard, state agencies during emergencies
By SPC Jordan Trent
124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
S
ix months after Hurricane Matthew struck the coast of the southeastern United
States, the state of Georgia hosted a large-scale training exercise designed to test
the response to a real-life disaster.
Approximately 9,000 military and civilian personnel participated in the Vigilant
Guard 17 emergency-response exercise held March 23-31. The Georgia Department of
Defense and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency teamed
up to co-host Vigilant Guard 17.
U.S. Northern Command, in conjunction with the National Guard Bureau, sponsored the
exercise.
“The purpose of this large-scale and comprehensive exercise is to simulate a real-world
natural disaster in order to improve cooperation among local, state, and federal stakeholders
in preparing for emergencies and any sort of catastrophic event,” said Georgia Governor
Nathan Deal.
More than 50 federal and local agencies joined the Georgia Department of Defense,
along with units from six other states for a series of real-world training scenarios during
Vigilant Guard 17.
“Everything the Georgia Department of Defense does is for, with, and through its
interagency partners,” said Brig. Gen. Tom Carden, commander of the Georgia Army
National Guard.
“Looking back, I believe we work at the speed of trust,” Carden said. “These exercises help
us build capability, and more importantly, it helps us build trust. Trust is cultivated through
relationships. When we can go out and work those relationships and build trust and build
capability, the end result is a safer population.”