Brigade tests civil support role readiness

Capt. Dionne Drayton/62nd Medical Brigade

The 62d Medical Brigade headquarters recently returned from Camp Atterbury, Ind., where it participated in a homeland defense exercise as part of Joint Task Force-Civil Support.

With almost 100 Soldiers participating, the brigade played a key role as the headquarters for Task Force-Medical, a medical task force consisting of Army and Air Force units from across the continental United States.

Let’s start with the basics. CBRNE stands for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, high-yield explosion. If a CBRNE event occured on U.S. soil, the first responders would soon be overwhelmed.

Most Americans are unaware that the responsibility of backing up those first responders falls upon the CBRNE Consequence Management Reaction Force. That’s where 62nd Med. Bde. comes into the picture.

The CCMRF is comprised of active and reserve component organizations. Although the major force provider for this task force is the Army, the other services play roles in the mission, as well.

When a catastrophic event occurs, whether it is natural disaster or a terrorist event, the major concern of the public is health and safety. This is where we come in. The 62nd Med. Bde. serves as the command-and-control element over Task Force Medical.

Our responsibility is to provide limited health service support JTF-CS and to civilian authorities to save lives, prevent further injury and provide temporary critical support to enable community recovery. The brigade’s recent exercise tried out that capability.

From Nov. 7 through 11, the CCMRF capabilities were tested during Exercise Vibrant Response 10.1. This exercise was a test of CCMRF response to a terrorist attack in Indianapolis.

Our ability to react quickly without detailed guidance about the mission was also tested during the exercise.

The 62nd Med. Bde., along with assets assembled from posts and bases all across the U.S. — including from 1st Expeditionary Medical Support, from Langley Air Force Base, Va.; 261st Multifunctional Medical Battalion and 155th Preventive Medicine Detachment, from Fort Bragg, N.C.; 581st and 566th Area Support Medical Companies, 583rd Medical Company and 43rd Veterinary Detachment, from Fort Hood, Texas; and 153rd Medical Detachment from here at Fort Lewis.

Vibrant Response served as a barometer to measure the preparedness of the forces to support the overall CCMRF mission.

During this exercise we displayed our ability to work in a joint environment outside of a combat zone.

This exercise allowed the Army and the Air Force Medical assets to validate the joint concept in a response to aiding American civilians.

Department of Defense assets are often called upon to support countries around the world in times of peace and war. It is reassuring to know that when our fellow Americans are in need, we are able to provide support to them, as well.