Vigilant Guard 18
Capt. Terry Schiffbauer, physician assistant assigned to the 104th area support medical company, checks the heart rate of a patient in the patient treatment area during Vigilant Guard 18 at Aberdeen Proving Ground Edgewood Area in Edgewood, Maryland on May 8, 2018. The purpose of Vigilant Guard is to improve coordination, operational relationships, plans and processes in preparation for emergencies and catastrophic events. Vigilant Guard is an exercise that allows the Maryland Military Department, along with 42 federal, state, and local agencies a chance to collaborate and test interoperability as part of a national level exercise. The agencies are evaluated on preparing for and recovering from a catastrophic hurricane making landfall. Nearly 2,000 service members, from with in the FEMA Region III area, are participating in the Vigilant Guard exercises in Maryland and Virginia. International partners are present observing the exercise to take home lessons learned. The national level exercise is sponsored by the United States Northern Command in conjunction with National Guard Bureau. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo by Sgt. Elise Moore)
