Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, Chief National Guard Bureau

DomesticPreparedness met with Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, Chief, National Guard Bureau. The Chief of the National Guard Bureau provides an update on how Guard units are supporting states in their domestic missions, while also serving as forward-deployed assets for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) in responding to a national incident or event. Also: An in-depth discussion on Vigilant Guard, last month’s series of exercises at the Indiana Guard’s interagency Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC), which simulated the multi-agency response to a 10-kiloton nuclear detonation. Overseas Deployments – And What is Left for the Governors The unprecedented demands on today’s National Guard. The current domestic deployments in 25 states. The effect of the Iraq War on equipment levels, and how funding plans are addressing the gaps that have developed. Updates on Guard Intergovernmental and Interagency Linkages Fielding of the Joint Force Headquarters-State (JFH-State). How JFH-State coordinates command, control, and communications, and also synchronizes requirements with the National Guard’s state counterparts. Linkages With NORTHCOM Joint Force HQs as the forward-deployed command, control, communications, computing, and intelligence (C4I) assets for the U.S. Northern Command. Updates on the CST and CERF-P Stand-Ups The status report on the stand-up and certification of the Guard’s WMD Civil Support Teams (CSTs) and the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High-Yield Explosive event CERF-P (CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Packages) teams. Guard Support on the U.S. Southwest Border Status report on Operation Jump Start, the Guard’s support to the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) directorate, and the implications of both on future working relationships between the Guard and CBP in terms of homeland security. National Guard Armories and Training How the Guard is utilizing its 3,200 armories nationwide for training and exercises with first-responder units and emergency-management agencies. Special Report: A De-brief on Vigilant Guard DomPrep’s Col. Jonathan Dodson participated in an extended discussion with General Blum on last month’s Vigilant Guard exercises at the Indiana Guard’s interagency Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC). Among the many topics discussed are the improved coordination procedures between the Guard and NORTHCOM that have developed over the past year, the exercising of the Guard’s integrated communications/interoperability, the fielding of Joint Incident Site Communications Capability (JISCC) systems, and the integration of National Guard State Compacts with the Emergency Management Assistance Compacts (EMACs) created between individual states.