Page 8 - The Dispatch August 2019

TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT
TEXAS STATE GUARD TRAINS FOR

HURRICANE SEASON

Texas State Guard members from the Texas Maritime Regiment recover a simulated drowning victim as part of the water search, rescue and
recovery mission validation during the Texas State Guard’s Operational Evaluation at Lake Bastrop, near Bastrop, Texas, April 5, 2019.
(Texas State Guard photo by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Malana Nall)

Story By: Chief Warrant Officer 3 Janet Schmelzer ponent conducted Operational METL Forge to carry out
Texas State Guard Public Affairs mission tasks of shelter operations, Emergency Tracking
Network operations and WebEOC operations.
The Texas State Guard is trained to respond, when called
upon, to deploy for emergencies and disasters, such as With a simulated hurricane approaching the Texas coast,
hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding. Guardsmen are ready Guardsmen set up shelters for evacuees at four locations
and capable to carry out their mission to provide highly in Brownwood and Early, Texas. State Guard leaders evalu-
trained, mission-ready military forces to assist state and ated each shelter team on its ability to assess shelter con-
local authorities in times of state emergencies and for ditions, facilities and floor plans, then on setting up sleep-
homeland security and service through Defense Support ing areas with cots and blankets, dining and kitchen space,
to Civil Authorities. medical rooms, shower and bathroom facilities and play
areas for children. The shelter layout provided safety and
In preparation for hurricane season, the Texas State Guard privacy for evacuees who would arrive already distressed
designated annual training as Operational Evaluation in by the simulated evacuation from their homes as if in a
order to evaluate and validate the operational readiness real-world event.
of Guardsmen to carry out mission-essential tasks effi-
ciently and effectively. Evacuation away from a hurricane requires skilled Guards-
men to support emergency management operations. To
The Texas State Guard conducted OPEVAL at Camp Bow- simulate an evacuation, Guardsmen in-processed evacuee
ie, Fort Wolters and Camp Swift, April 4-7, 2019. At Camp role players into ETN, an accountability system that tracks
Bowie, located near Brownwood, Texas, the Army Com- each evacuee’s point of departure to a shelter. Guards-

8 TheDISPATCH August 2019