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682nd supports state's efforts

  • Published
  • By Kimberly Champagne
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  While some traveled to a fun destination for the Labor Day weekend, members of the 682nd Air Support Operations Squadron were participating in U.S. Northern Command training mission to test Department of Defense support of federal civilian agencies and state emergency operations center. 

According to U.S. Northern Command, the overall objective of this training mission was to enable Northcom and its components to transmit and receive real-time, full-motion video in order to provide enhanced incident awareness and assessment during catastrophic events. This video is part of the overall picture provided to senior national leaders, the staff at Northcom, federal civilian agencies and state emergency operations works to enable a more rapid and effective disaster response. 

"It was a new mission for us," said Lt. Col. Brian Pierson, 682nd ASOS commander. 

"Recently, the Department of Defense and the Air Force have made a commitment to provide support during disasters in the states. We sent 11 Airmen to Charleston and five to Columbia as joint terminal air controller teams to support." 

"It was a great learning experience," said Tech. Sgt. Eric Newsome, 682nd ASOS satellite and wide telemetry communication maintenance team chief. 

Along with the 682nd ASOS the Joint Communication Support Element from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., was also tasked to set up a joint forward base at Charleston Air Force Base. A Navy P-3 from Jacksonville, Fla., was also part of the team. 

"The military was not the lead; we were supporting the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. It was interesting to see how we fit into the puzzle," Lt. Col. Pierson said. There are 19 different agencies assembled in the South Carolina EOC.
"South Carolina actually stood up their state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center in Columbia in preparation for Ernesto," he said. 

"We provided them the ability to receive and send video to the EOC in Columbia. If Ernesto had been catastrophic, the governor or his representative could have dispatched support to the areas hardest hit," he said. 

"South Carolina is leading the southeast in capabilities and equipment, also in how they link agencies with other agencies. It was our goal to see what we needed to be fully interoperable," said Lt. Col. Pierson. 

"The EOC is set up to mirror the Federal Emergency Management Agency, so our efforts can be coordinated in one area," said Col. Debra Rose, South Carolina Army Guard joint communications officer. "It's all one team and one fight. We all work with each other." 

"It was very rewarding linking up our capabilities with state and government agencies. We all live in South Carolina and have a vested interested in protecting it's citizenry," said Lt. Col. Brian Peterson, 682nd ASOS deputy commander. "It was an interesting exercise in addition to using our equipment for tracking terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan, we can use it to save lives at home.