Hawaii National Guard participates in Vigilant Guard 2020 in Guam. - with Graphics

Credit: Tech. Sgt. Andrew Jackson | Date Taken: 11/22/2019
The Hawaii National Guard recently sent the 93rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team and the Medical Detachment 1 section of its CERFP section to Guam in the closing weeks of November 2019 to support Vigilant Guard 2020. Capt. Nathaniel J Calio 93rd CST, Operations Officer The Vigilant Guard training exercise program sponsored by U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), in conjunction with National Guard Bureau, provides civilian-military first responders and emergency management personnel the opportunity to evaluate their capabilities and identify areas for improvement, in the most realistic, large-scale disaster scenarios possible. Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Baqui 93rd CST, CBRNE NCO These units consist of specially trained Soldiers and Airmen who help reduce human suffering and mitigate risk along with a vast array of equipment and vehicles outfitted to aid response efforts. All of this equipment and manpower was airlifted to Guam as it would need to be in a real-world situation. Sgt. 1st Class Chalcedony Silva 93rd CST, Logistics NCO The Hawaii National Guard’s 93rd CST is comprised of six sections. The sections work together to asses and respond to situations where there are suspected CBRNE threats. There are 57 CST units in the United States. This is the second time Vigilant Guard has been held in Guam. Hawaii’s CERFP Medical Airmen provided casualty collection, triage, and decontamination support to a collapsed structure scenario where there was a verified chemical contamination. During Vigilant Guard, the Hawaii CST assisted to the response to multiple threats of natural and manmade origin. Vigilant Guard 2020 concluded with an air evacuation of a simulated downed Airman who was injured while responding to a possible manmade disaster. (U.S. Air National Guard Video by Tech. Sgt Andrew Jackson)