Page 9 - The Dispatch August 2019

TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT

men set up evacuation hubs where evacuees would board Guardsmen also operated WebEOC, a real-time incident
designated emergency transportation to shelters. Guards- emergency management and communication system that
men registered each individual, pet and piece of personal helps assess how resources are allocated in emergency
medical equipment into the system and assigned wrist- operations. Every event and action is entered into the sys-
bands with unique identifying numbers for each person, tem, which provides a real-time record of the mission.
pet and item. Guardsmen then directed the evacuees to
the embarkation point. As the evacuees boarded the bus, At Fort Wolters, in Mineral Wells, Texas, the Air Compo-
Guardsmen scanned wristbands that record their identify- nent, along with the 19th and Engineer regiments from
ing numbers into ETN, which keeps track of evacuees from the Army Component, conducted Operation Texas Castle
the departure point to the location of a specific shelter. to validate the readiness of their Guardsmen. Partner-
ing with Mineral Wells’ local civilian authorities and the
"Each Texas State Guard member knows that we have sig- Palo Pinto Emergency Operations Center, the Air Compo-
nificant responsibilities when deployed for an emergency nent and 19th Regiment set up shelter operations at lo-
or disaster. Our support to shelter and evacuation opera- cal churches and buildings. In joint training with the local
tions assists Texans impacted by a disaster to find a safe emergency operations center, Guardsmen tested the com-
place where they can get food, water and sleep. We are munication systems that support local efforts to respond
honored to serve them,” said Pvt. James Kirby, 2nd Battal- effectively during an emergency. Guardsmen also operat-
ion, 4th Regiment, Army Component. ed ETN, registering evacuee role players, to demonstrate
and validate their capabilities.

The Texas Medical Brigade provides medical support to Texas State Guard members in preparation for Operational Evaluation to certify that
members are ready for duty at Camp Bowie, Brownwood, Texas, April 4, 2019.
(Texas State Guard photo by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Janet Schmelzer)

www.tmd.texas.gov 9