Wisconsin Guard unit demonstrates its ability to serve, protect

Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office

A Wisconsin National Guard unit continues to hone its skills for responding to threats of weapons of mass destruction in the state.

The 54th Civil Support Team, a full-time joint Army and Air National Guard unit based in Madison, is participating in a five-day exercise named "Operation Bay Watch" in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. The exercise scenario depicts a domestic terrorist attack involving a nerve agent at the Door County Fairgrounds race track, and also a dirty bomb laboratory in the municipal area.

According to Karl Nagel, a member of the Army controller-observer team heading the exercise, the 54th CST will be judged on how well it responds to various training events. Some events from the race track venue could recur in the dirty bomb laboratory venue if observer-controllers determine that the 54th CST requires additional training.

Lt. Col. David May, deputy director of domestic operations, plans and training with the Wisconsin National Guard's Joint Staff, explained that the 54th CST is required to complete a training proficiency exercise approximately every 18 months. Their last certification exercise was in March 2010.

"With one of two exercise days complete, the team is doing very well," May said Sept. 14. "But [the unit] will face some rigorous challenges on the final day. The scenarios are built to ensure the team is tested in all the required areas, but also are intended to be realistic."

The 54th CST assists local first responders in determining the nature of an attack, provides medical and technical advice, and - as the first military responder to the scene - serves as an advance party if additional state or federal military resources are required. They do not take over the scene, but coordinate with the local incident commander and determine how to best assist local response efforts.

Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, said that while the Civil Support Team is not a brand-new concept - it was conceived during the second term of the Clinton administration - it nonetheless reflects the changing role the National Guard plays in protecting the homeland.

"The 54th CST represents the high end of our core mission," Dunbar said. "Floods, fires and storm responses may not require the same specialized skill sets that the Civil Support Team possesses, but deep down it's the same mission - provide capabilities to local authorities to safeguard our communities. But whether natural or man-made, if the threat changes, the National Guard adapts."

May noted that local support in Door County for this exercise has been outstanding.

"The county parks department and staff, the county emergency manager, Sturgeon Bay Police Department, local businesses and local citizens have accommodated everything that we have needed," he said.

This exercise follows on the heels of real-world protective missions the 54th CST conducted at Lambeau Field in Green Bay for the season-opening National Football League game, at the State Capitol building for the 9/11 10th anniversary ceremony, and at Miller Park in Milwaukee for a celebration of 9/11 veterans. The same proactive mission to detect and counter threats was also recently conducted at the National Guard Association of the United States general conference in Milwaukee at the end of August.