Wright trains in military's emergency response test

By Dona Fair

   CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. - "There's just been a terrorist attack of a

10-ton nuclear device explosion in downtown Indianapolis, and the surviving

town on the outskirts needs immediate emergency aid response," was the call

that jolted the son of a Sardinia couple into action.

   Luckily for Army Spec. Robert W. Wright, son of Warren K. and Tina

S. Chambers of Freeh Road, Sardinia, the call wasn't for a real terrorist

attack, but for a federal emergency response exercise called "Vibrant

Response." The weeklong exercise simulated a terrorist nuclear attack in

the United States, and required our nation's military from all services,

along with local and state first responders to quickly be put into action.

   Wright was one of more than 4,000 military and civilian participants

who recently converged on Camp Atterbury's Joint Maneuver Training Center,

along with the nearby Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, and its surrounding

communities in southern Indiana to test their emergency response

capabilities.

   "My role here is to save lives and help the community get back on

track," said Wright, who is a military police officer with Task Force 716,

411th Military Police Company, Fort Hood, Texas.

     With an underground tunnel system, nine miles of roads, and more than

120-plus buildings, which included a hospital, nursing home, parking

garages, power plant, schools, and a police station, Muscatatuck was the

perfect location for this training event.

     Burning vehicles and garbage, rubbage piles, emergency sirens, and

lots of smoke from fog machines and smoke candles, made the training center

look like it had indeed been the site of a nuclear disaster.  Role players

were hired to portray survivors, and moulage experts made the injuries and

ailments that they would receive by surviving such an incident look as

realistic as possible.

     Assessment, search and rescue, decontamination, medical, aviation,

engineering and logistics missions were performed by military teams that

surveyed the damage, erected triage centers, setup decontamination sites,

and performed radiation tests to ensure it was safe for service members to

begin work.

     Search and rescue, and decontamination teams removed civilians and

casualties from the devastated area.  Affected victims were decontaminated

and then triaged and provided with medical care.  As ambulances and

helicopters stood by, the medical team coordinated ground evacuation,

hospitalization, veterinary care, preventive medicine, blood distribution,

and medical logistical support of patients.

     Military members constantly train for battle in a foreign country, but

making sure that they are prepared to respond on American soil is also

important.  Training for such a catastrophe has been deemed mandatory by

U.S. military officials.

     "Prior to coming here, I spent long hours training for this

deployment," said the 2004 graduate of Eastern Brown Senior High School.

     When a natural disaster occurs, local city and county first responders

are the first on the scene.  But an event like a nuclear detonation would

quickly require regional and national responders to assist.

     For Wright and the others, an exercise like "Vibrant Response" allows

everyone to work out any kinks that may arise at an inopportune time during

a real disaster.  Valuable lessons were learned each day including

communication, logistical, and coordination issues.  It also helps Wright

and the others understand how federal, local, and state agencies become one

to complete a mission of this magnitude.

     "This exercise will help us build team confidence in case a real-world

disaster should ever happen in the United States," said Wright, who has been

in the military for three years.

     Hopefully for Wright and all of the participants, lessons learned

during "Vibrant Response" will never have to be used.  But in case they do

get that call one day, they will be prepared to respond.