Email   Print   Share By Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Facebook Digg Delicious October 18, 2012 | News

Sgt. Rich Suel, observer-controller, reviews maintenance procedures with Soldiers during a deployment readiness exercise Oct. 11 at Robert Gray Army Airfield. Soldiers from chemical battalions were testing their abilities to deploy on short notice to assist following a natural disaster or incident. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

With the operational tempo overseas slowing down, Fort Hood Soldiers are refocusing on an old mission – preparedness to rapidly deploy and provide assistance following a disaster or incident in the U.S.

Last week, chemical and medical Soldiers were checking their preparedness to deploy and respond on short notice to potential incidents.

It is a mission that will last all fiscal year for these troops.

“It’s a kind of first responder, lifesaver mission,” Gary Glick, Emergency/Deployment Readiness Exercise plans action officer, said. “They have to be prepared to bring everything in their MTOE (Modified Table Of Organization and Equipment).”

The training is in-line with Forces Command requirements, and the E/DRE program is one that is a long-time Army mission that was mostly pushed aside during the ongoing conflicts overseas.

When called to deploy for missions such as earthquakes, hurricanes or tornadoes, Soldiers are deployed in three phases, Glick said.

An initial response team would go first to assess the mission and its requirements, and stake out a location.

Force Package One would follow to provide inital decontamination. Force Package Two would come in after the initial decontamination teams to provide medical treatment and preventive medicine services for people and animals and inspect food and water.

On Oct. 11, two chemical battalions were at Robert Gray Army Airfield with trucks loaded with their mission-essential equipment while observer-controllers were checking their maintenance and preparedns to deploy to Missouri following an earthquake.

“This is a way to check load plans and see if they are accurate,” Glick said. “We can see if they are called upon, are they ready to deploy.”

In this scenario, the Soldiers’ vehicles and equipment were to be loaded onto CH-47 helicopters and lifted to Missouri.

Observer-controller Sgt. 1st Class Rich Suel drilled the Soldiers on maintenance checks and procedures to ensure they all knew the required information.

“I’m here to evaulate all areas with shortcomings,” Suel said. “This is about getting back to basics.”

Suel’s inspections were tough, but the Soldiers felt prepared going into the exercise.

“I felt pretty prepared,” Spc. David Gordon, 2nd Chemical Battalion, said. “The inspection itself was more detailed than I expected.”

The Soldiers had prepared incrementally for the exercise in five stages, which Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Chris Hoffman said was great readiness training for his troops.

“They haven’t done one of these for a number of years,” Hoffman said. “It’s been a learning experience. The Soldiers are not used to this type of mission.”