In Numbers : Army Interagency Training and Education Center
To date , the agencies that make up the Army Interagency Training and Education Center ( AITEC ) have completed the following :
• Headquarters Department of the Army – 46 assessments
• Defense Information Systems Agency – 19 assessments , 110 supply chain risk management reports , 1,510 products evaluated for counterfeit detection analysis
• U . S . Coast Guard – 59 port assessments
• U . S . Department of Homeland Security – 580 infrastructure visualization platform reports , 552 infrastructure survey tool reports , 4,302 courses conducted with 81,610 students trained
The AITEC budget of $ 9.9 million is just 7 % of the overall National Guard Bureau budget allocated for this type of training , but it provides 90 % of the training and evaluations in support of the Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear and Explosive Response Enterprise program annually . By Fiscal Year 2023 , projected growth of the AITEC will lead to $ 37 million in total federal funding to West Virginia . To date :
• 6,500 military members trained annually for $ 1,664 per student
• 70,000 law enforcement personnel trained
• 2,900 assessments on critical infrastructure completed
support ,” says Lieutenant Colonel Bob Luther , deputy commander of the AITEC . “ The AITEC individual training branch provides National Guard Bureau-facilitated individual training courses for all 10 HRFs and all 17 CERFPs in the areas of search and extraction , mass casualty decontamination , CBRNE response and command post operations .”
The AITEC also conducts mission-based risk assessments on critical national defense assets , including defense critical infrastructure assets in the U . S . and abroad , in support of a variety of government agencies . The NGB , Headquarters Department of the Army ( HQDA ), Defense Information Systems Agency ( DISA ), U . S . Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) and U . S . Coast Guard ( USCG ) are all AITEC supported . Annual funding to the AITEC from the NGB , DOD and other agencies totals $ 21 million , and the unit employs 215 men and women of the Army and Air National Guard in West Virginia . According to Luther , in the next two to three years there is an expectant growth of 30 % for full-time , federally funded jobs in West Virginia totaling more than 300 positions and $ 37 million in subsidies to the state , with 38 of these positions going to support the mission assurance initiative with the DISA and HQDA .
The training and operational support provided by the AITEC offer a national homeland security capability in order to meet current and emerging needs . As the unit now provides operational support to both the NGB and DHS Infrastructure Programs Branch , its diverse skills come with multiple responsibilities . In 2000 , Congress granted authority and funding to the DOD to operate consequence management and counter-terrorist training facilities for first responders in West Virginia . Today , WVNG teams continue to develop methodologies , concepts of operation and trainings to meet security needs and sustain their capabilities .
Along with assessing threats to physical infrastructure , the AITEC works toward national security by focusing on innovation and remaining apprised of changes in technology , particularly cyber , according to Luther . Supply chain risk management and industrial control systems are of particular interest at this time , and the AITEC routinely works with academia and other partner agencies to tackle challenges related to these areas . The AITEC also has a cybersecurity assessment team that surveys online traffic and analyzes data for risks .
Mission Assurance Assessment Teams
Part of the AITEC includes the Army ’ s Mission Assurance Assessment ( MAA ) team , which is responsible for conducting assessments on strategic Army assets .
“ The team identifies risks that might impact the availability and function of defense critical infrastructure necessary to support the U . S . national military strategy ,” says First Lieutenant Morgan Minor , member of the Army MAA team .
According to Minor , the team takes an all threats / all hazards approach to assessments , considering a strategic site ’ s ability to deter , detect and respond to threats — such as an active shooter — and prepare , respond and recover from a hazard , such as severe weather . Each identified threat or hazard is ranked based on impact to the strategic mission , allowing opportunities to prioritize resources , mitigate risk and enhance the overall security posture of defense critical infrastructure .
The WVNG has provided continuity for Army mission assurance efforts since 2011 , and today , it has the only MAA team in the country supporting the DISA and one of only two MAA teams supporting the HQDA . The units are located at Camp Dawson in Morgantown , WV , and also in Dunbar , WV . These teams play a strategic role in the national defense of critical assets and infrastructure .
“ This says a great deal about WVNG soldiers and airmen . Federal partners choose them for their professionalism and work ethic ,” says Luther . “ For DISA specifically , this happened in 2018 at an annual conference in Washington , D . C . Our AITEC officer in charge of supporting the HQDA mission assurance program was invited to be a guest speaker on an assessment panel alongside the Navy , Air Force and Marines to serve as the Army subject matter expert for MAAs . DISA leadership in attendance took note of our assessment capability compared to others conducting MAAs . During the 2019 conference , DISA approached us in developing a partnership
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