Military launches readiness exercise

By Robert Burns
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — U.S. Northern Command, which is responsible for military operations inside the United States, begins an exercise this week to test its ability to respond to multiple domestic emergencies simultaneously, including a bioterror attack in Nevada.

The exercise, dubbed Determined Promise '03, includes a simulated hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, real and simulated wildfires, an airborne terrorist threat in Alaska and an outbreak of pneumonic plague in Nevada. The military also will simulate the derailment of a train carrying munitions in Kentucky, said Maj. Cheryl Phillips, a Northern Command spokeswoman.

It begins today with the plague outbreak in Clark County, which has 70 percent of Nevada's population, including Las Vegas.

At the same time, Northern Command's headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., will deal with a variety of simulated natural disasters and terrorist threats elsewhere in the country.

Fifteen federal offices and agencies will participate, including the assistant secretary of defense for homeland security, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as well as intelligence agencies such as the National Reconnaissance Office and the CIA.

Also participating will be the American Red Cross and the American Association of Railroads, as well as seven state and local organizations, including National Guard units. Twenty-eight active-duty military units will be involved.

As part of the exercise, fighter jets will fly over Alaska to test the command's ability to deal with potential airborne terrorist threats.

The exercise will have 2,000 participants and cost $2 million, according to officials at Northern Command. It ends Aug. 28.