The Mississippi National Guard, alongside the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and over 30 partner agencies, is set to engage in a comprehensive disaster response exercise named “Vigilant Guard 2025” from May 12-18. This exercise spans across Tennessee and Mississippi, focusing on enhancing mission command and fostering relationships and interoperability among federal, state, and local agencies.
The exercise, co-sponsored by the United States Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau, involves Guardsmen from Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. It aims to coordinate a statewide response to a significant disaster in collaboration with the Mississippi and Tennessee Emergency Management Agencies.
Brig. Gen. Andrew S. Rendon, Commander of the 66th Troop Command of the Mississippi National Guard, emphasized the importance of the exercise. “A primary mission of the MSNG’s Troop Command and its subordinate units is to provide command and control to a joint task force in response to defense support of civil authority missions during man-made and natural disasters,” he stated. “The multi-state earthquake exercise, Vigilant Guard, offers our staff and commanders a chance to test and evaluate response plans and standard operating procedures.”
This year’s scenario is based on a 7.5 magnitude earthquake along the Mississippi River, impacting areas in north Mississippi. Participants will engage in various operations, including search and rescue, critical site security, and infrastructure failure response. Coordination will be managed through the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and local emergency bodies.
Residents in northern Mississippi may notice increased military activity as part of the exercise. The Mississippi National Guard’s UH-72 Lakota helicopters will be conducting aerial surveys for damage assessment and route reconnaissance. Media access will be provided during certain events to showcase the capabilities of the participating agencies.
