SANTIAGO, Chile – Senior leaders of the Texas National Guard and the Chilean Armed Forces met for the Annual State  Partnership Program Planning Meeting in Santiago, Chile, March 26, 2014. There the leaders discussed, planned and  agreed on the security cooperation events that the two organizations will conduct in the next two years.

 The partnership between Texas and Chile is part of the State Partnership Program, or SPP, run by the National Guard  Bureau. It allows State National Guards to partner with nations around the world to strengthen relationships and i  interoperability, enhance military capabilities, and increase cultural awareness and professional skills among U.S. military  personnel and their counterparts.

 According to Brig. Gen. Patrick Hamilton, commander of the Joint Texas Domestic Operations Command, an informal  relationship with Chile started before the two were formally announced as partners, back when a former Texas Adjutant  General and the current Chilean President attended school together.

 “Maj. Gen. [Ret.] Charles Rodriguez went to the Inter-American Defense University with Michelle Bachelet,” Hamilton said.  “There they became friends; he became the Adjutant General of Texas and she became the President of Chile. So we  reached out to Chile to see if they’d be interested in forming State Partnership with us, they were very interested and so we  formally requested the partnership.”

 The TXNG and Chile have been partnered since 2008 and have conducted close to 80 exchanges, some of which include  airborne operations, artillery fire, C-130 and F-16 maintenance and flight maneuvers, special forces exchanges, combat  casualty care practices, homeland response capabilities and even environmentally responsible practices. 

 According to Hamilton the partnership is a success due a similar partnership with another nation the TXNG has had since  the early ‘90s. 

 “The SPP was started at the end of the Cold War with the intent to bring former Warsaw Pact nations into NATO. Those  showing a desire reached out; and in our case Czech Republic did and Texas was assigned to it,” Hamilton said. “Texas was one of the first states to be part of the SPP and we have become very effective since; therefore there were no growing pains with the Chilean partnership.”

Hamilton is optimistic about where the partnership is going and how the TXNG and Chile can help each other grow and participate in larger exchanges. 

“Because our relationship is as mature as it is and the Chileans are as advanced as they are, U.S. Southern Command has asked us to begin helping Chile pursue leadership roles within the region and in exercises with U.S. Army South and other countries,” Hamilton said. “They’ve done that and we want to continue supporting them in those roles.”

Col. Tim Hodge, Chief of Security Cooperation Division at U.S. Army South attended the meeting as an observer to see how the relationship and future subject matter expert exchanges can help his command achieve similar goals with the South American nation. Hodge believes the TXNG is a key partner not only with Chile, but with U.S. Army South as well.

“U.S. Army South has worked with the TXNG ever since we moved to San Antonio, over eight years ago,” Hodge said. “Throughout the years, Texas has helped us not only with Chile, but with other partner nations throughout our area of responsibility. Texas is our partner-of-choice whenever it comes to fielding engagements like this.”

Hodges also believes these exchanges are key for the future of both countries’ militaries.

“When a young sergeant or young captain comes to these exchanges they not only meet their counterparts and exchange technical knowledge, they develop friendships as well,” Hodges added. “As they both rise through the ranks as senior enlisted and officers and they now have someone they can reach out to when needed and keep the relationships going.”

Chilean Navy Captain Francisco Abrego, North America and Asian Pacific Area Section Chief, International Operations Directorate for the Chilean Armed Forces Joint Staff and SPP coordinator for the Chileans, believes the face-to-face interaction the exchanges bring to the Texan/Chilean partnership is important.

“The network created by these exchanges is valuable, because now you know a face on the other side,” Abrego said. “It’s not just a phone number and a name, it’s a friend and that makes things go smoother and faster.”

This year’s meeting included a visit to Chilean Army, Navy and Air Force bases located in the southern part of the country. There, Chilean component commanders briefed the TXNG delegation on their respective capabilities and structure.

“We visited the different organizations and this gave us insight into how they work,” Hamilton said. “This helps us understand how we can better support each other in these exchanges.” 

According to the ASPPPM delegation new opportunities did come to mind.

“We noticed through these visits there were some exchanges we can absolutely do that we didn’t plan for; some dealing with flood response,” Hamilton added. “Chile has plans in place to deal with tsunamis. And even though we don’t deal with tsunami type floods, we still have flooding due to storm surges or hurricanes, so we’re going to plan exchanges to share our procedures and experiences, so that we can both be better prepared.”

This years’ meeting wrapped up with both countries signing an agreement with more than 40 exchanges planned for fiscal years 2014 and 2015.

“We have come away from this meeting with a robust plan in place for both countries.” Abrego said. “The Texan culture is just like the Chilean culture, which is why it’s so easy to work with them; and because of that, our partnership grows stronger every year. We look forward to continue working with Texas for many years to come.”

 CAMP MABRY, Texas – As the sound of blanks fired in the hallway, personnel ran out, jumped through windows or sought  cover from the active shooter coming through their workspace. Fortunately, this was only a training exercise held at Camp  Mabry in Austin, Texas, March 19, 2014.

 The training scenario was designed to help Camp Mabry’s security department better coordinate with the Austin Police  Department’s Counter Assault Strike Team (CAST), as well as prepare the base’s employees should anything like this ever  occur. 

 Sandi Valdespino, a civilian case manager with the Texas Medical Command, felt this was a great exercise not only to  prepare the personnel here, but also to make them aware of the realistic threat.

 “People always down play things like this, especially since we’re on a base working side by side with military members,”  Valdespino said. “It’s important for us to know what to do. The knowledge gained here will empower them greatly.”

 Valdespino also shared how a fellow employee took the training seriously and physically put planned escape measures to  the test.

 “When the exercise started, we all ran into my office and closed the door as previously planned,” Valdespino continued. “Right then, Sgt. Ahmad Ofogh began to actually drag a large filing cabinet to block the door. He said he wanted to see if he could actually physically do it if the time came.”

The exercise put Camp Mabry’s security officers to the test as well; they are the first response for any type of emergency on the installation. Officer Ian McPherson, day shift supervisor, knows training like this is crucial for his team.

“The realism of the training helped us identify our strengths and weaknesses,” McPherson said. “We know it’s just pretend, but it got our blood pumping and adrenaline up. Working with CAST added another level of reality, which also allowed us to have an outside organization critique our tactics so that we can either better them or reinforce what we were doing well.”

By days end, Austin Police Department’s CAST and Camp Mabry security officers and employees went through seven scenarios, each time discovering new ways to react to an active shooter event. Spc. Danielle Schrag, a case manager with Texas Medical Command, describes the value this has for everyone involved.

“To see the CAST and our security officers go through these scenarios together is comforting,” Schrag said. “It not only gives me confidence in their abilities to respond to an active shooter, but makes us, the employees, aware of something like this happening; and therefore better respond and help ourselves till they arrive.”

 CAMP GRUBER, Okla. - Emergency management leadership from nine different states attended the Texas Military Forces  Homeland Response Force training exercise to observe disaster preparedness certification training at Camp Gruber, near  Muskogee, Okla., March 5, 2014.

 Civilian and military visitors ranged from various fire departments and the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality, or  TCEQ, critical infrastructure director to Maj. Gen. Myles Deering, the adjutant general – Oklahoma.

 Joint Task Force 136 Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Texas Military Forces' Homeland Response Force, or HRF, is  conducting a weeklong exercise involving approximately 800 service members rehearsing their response to large-scale  disasters.

 “This is the reason the National Guard is such a great tool,” said Col. Patrick Hamilton, Domestic Operations Commander,  Texas Military Forces. He explained that the HRF often conducts training with other civilian agency first responders.  Hamilton further described how the National Guard provides first responders with additional resources to assist with crisis  management.

 As guests were led through the training area they witnessed soldiers and airmen dressed in chemical suits “responding” to  a large-scale chemical attack. “Casualties,” in the exercise, were evacuated with precaution as service members ensured  the chemical threat was contained.

The scenario involved two large chemical attacks and a broken water main, said Col. Lee Schnell, Joint Task Force 136 Maneuver Enhancement Brigade commander, Texas Military Forces. Service members trained to assist first responders in casualty evacuation, triage, and search and rescue in a contaminated environment.

Even with snow covering the ground, and temperatures hovering around freezing, the service men and women seemed to maneuver easily through the makeshift village in their chemical suits to render aid. 

TCEQ, imbedded several hazardous material specialists into the training to work along side the HRF said TCEQ’s Critical Infrastructure Director Kelly Cook. 

“The HRF is a force multiplier,” said Cook. “We do a lot of the same things, but Texas is a big state and they provide much needed support for large disasters.”

There are 10 HRFs in the U.S. and each one has to certify every 24 months, said Schnell. Leadership from six different states came out to observe this exercise in order to assist with their own unit operations.

The training is a certification exercise for the HRF, but it is also preparation for the next time Texas, or any other state’s emergency response force may need their help.

“I came here today to check on the Texas Military Forces and show my support for the HRF concept,” said Cook, also explaining that this HRF falls under Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, Region 6. “The great Region 6 HRF, we love working with these guys.”

FEMA Region 6 states include Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.