MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- In the wake of several natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, first responders realized the importance of utilizing all available local resources in order to protect the general public in the best possible manner. Taking the initiative, Marines from Marine Aircraft Group 46 and various subordinate units teamed up with first responders from Los Angeles County to train and decide how best to employ local Marine Corps assets in the case of a natural or man-made disaster.
The reserve Marines used their Annual Training to conduct integrated training with professional first responders from the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and Los Angeles City and County Fire Departments. Each day, Marines broke up into groups to receive training from each agency in how they would help. Due to the location of the San Andreas Fault and likelihood of a real large-scale earthquake, the training scenario was a catastrophic 8.0 earthquake. The training took place at Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, Calif., located approximately 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
"One of the lessons of Hurricane Katrina is that when local and state officials are overcome by the magnitude of a catastrophe, the U.S. military must be quickly ready to help if asked,” said Col. Stephen T. Ganyard, commanding officer, MAG-46, MCAS Miramar, Calif. “In California, we are always under threat of natural or man-made disasters, and the Marine Reservists who make up my command want to make sure that if state or local officials ask for our help, we are ready to respond within hours. We believe that now is the time, and not after a disaster occurs, to learn who we might be working with and how best to support them."
With the introduction of Marine Corps Administrative Directive 589/05, “USMC Roles and Missions in Homeland Security and Defense Support of Civil Authorities,” local commanders can now assist civil authorities when called upon. This directive is based on Department of Defense Directive 3025.1 “Military Support to Civil Authorities.”
“The most important aspect of this entire training evolution was simply all of the agencies working together utilizing available assets the MAG has to offer,” said Cpl. Fred Schmidt, MAG-46 intelligence specialist. “The Marines are always taking the lead in helping people in other countries; however, it’s equally important to prepare for any future threat we may have here in our own backyard.”
Some of the capabilities the Marines of MAG-46 could bring to the table in a real life natural disaster are the heavy lift capabilities of the CH-53 Super Stallion, medical evacuation via various air transport options, refueling of military and civilian aircraft and fire equipment, water purification reverse osmosis capabilities, crowd control, search and rescue operations and other humanitarian efforts.
Some of the types of training the Marines received included basic fire fighting and first aid, simulator based Engagement Skills Training, crowd control tactics using batons and search and rescue training.
Due to the importance of the training, several high ranking dignitaries attended the press conference which kicked off the last day of training. Those who attended included: Mr. Pete Verga, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Homeland Defense; Dep. Chief Charley Hurley, deputy chief special operations, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Fire & Rescue; Brig. Gen. James Combs, commanding general, Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos; Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles County Sheriff; 1st Asst. Chief Jim McDonnell, first assistant chief, Los Angeles Police Department; Chief Deputy Garry Lockhart, Deputy Chief Mario Rueda, deputy chief, Bureau of Emergency Services, Los Angeles City Fire Department.