A homeland defense exercise to test U.S. Northern Command’s ability to
respond to multiple, simultaneous contingencies demonstrated that the command
is ready to handle military operations inside the United States, officials said.
The exercise, called Determined Promise ‘03, proved the need to build
relationships between various responding agencies, as well as federal, state
and local governments, said a NORTHCOM official.
In a press statement, Air Force Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, NORTHCOM commander,
said he will “certify through the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
to the secretary of defense, that Northern Command is ready for what we call
full operational capability.”
The week-long multi-agency exercise, held in Clark County, Nev., simulated
a category-three hurricane in Florida, wildfires in the Northwest, a munitions-train
derailment in Kentucky, a plague outbreak in Las Vegas, an air threat over Alaska
and the interception of a shipment of biological weapons bound for a U.S. port.
More than 2,000 personnel took part in the exercise, including 1,500 from the
Defense Department, said Lt. Gen. Ed Anderson, deputy commander of NORTHCOM.
Organizations as diverse as the Defense Intelligence Agency, the American Red
Cross, the American Association of Railroads, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) and the state of Nevada took part, said Anderson, at the sixth
annual Space and Missile Defense conference in Huntsville, Ala. National Guard
troops from Nevada, Rhode Island and Alabama, as well as 28 military units,
also participated.
In addition, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) did a live-fly
exercise to test its ability to handle airborne threats and interface with NORTHCOM.
Determined Promise ‘03 began on Aug. 18, when a simulated terrorist group
released pneumonic plague along the Las Vegas strip. The outbreak rapidly escalated,
leading Las Vegas officials to seek state and federal assistance. As the events
unfolded around the country, the Department of Homeland Security called the
Defense Department to assist Clark County officials with the health emergency.
NORTHCOM brought in its Joint Task Force Civil Support (JTF-CS), from Fort Monroe,
Va. to deal with the bioterrorism incident.
The Nevada National Guard, FEMA Region IX, and JTF-CS all deployed personnel
and equipment to assist Clark County. JTF-CS provided logistical support in
areas such as medical, communications and mortuary affairs, according to NORTHCOM.
The biological attack led the governor of Nevada to impose a quarantine in
the county. Enforcing the quarantine was left to state and local police. Under
the Posse Comitatus act, federal troops are prohibited from handling law enforcement.
More than 1,400 participants were dispatched to locations across the country
to deal with the various situations.
NORTHCOM is in the process of doing an after-action report. According to spokesman
Lt. Col. A.J. Johnson, the command has up to 60 days to complete it. The report
then will be sent on to the Joint Forces Command for review.