washington military department evergreen magazine - vol. 1 iss. 3

The Fight on Cyber Terrorism

Traditional Guardsmen

Any Mission, Any time

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pg 6

pg 9 Exceptional Citizens

Commander in ChiefWashington State GovernorThe Honorable Jay Inslee

The Adjutant General

Maj. Gen. Bret D. Daugherty

State Public Affairs OfficerCpt. Joseph F. Siemandel

Chief EditorSpc. Samantha Ciaramitaro

ContributorsRobert Ezelle

Maj. Christina Martin Maj. Lisa Dowling

Chris AcunaWendy Freitag

Gary LottMark StewartKarin Johnson

Tim Cook

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONSContributions to the Evergreen Magazine are always welcome! Send articles, photos, questions and art to Washington National Guard Public Affairs Office at: [email protected]

Communications DirectorKarina Shagren

1 EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL. I // ISSUE III

Camp Murray - BG Wallace Turner, MG Bret Daugherty, and COL (P) John Tuohy, showed their 12th man spirit along with other members of the Washington National Guard!

MIL.WA.GOV VOL. I // ISSUE III 2

T BLE of CONTENTS

The 96th MET is designed to conduct military engagements between the United States military and foreign military organizations. Through these engagements they continue to build and shape relationships with other country’s military members and governments.

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13For centuries, the National Guard has protected American communities and served the country by living an “Always Ready, Always There” line of defense in times of need - Hurricane Katrina, countless wildfires and the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Page 7West Point Guardsmen

PV1 Allen has become the first Washington Army National Guardsmen to be accepted into West Point. The Army National Guard and Reserves receive only 85 slots a year combined and receive more than 250 applications, so admission into the academy is difficult.

Page 10 Page 11Military Engagements Celebrating 377 Years Cyber Warfare

Emergency Management Division recently helped two Washington Coast communities submit hazard mitigation grant proposals to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

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Tsunami Vertical

HRF Outreach presented the HRF/DOMOPS brief across the state throughout multiple counties, state agencies and themajority of the Regional Homeland Security Coordination Districts.

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Homeland Response

As LEAN process improvements continue to spread across state government, the Washington Military Department has seen a multitude of successes as it’s implementation spreads throughout the agency.

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LEAN The Future of

Life Christian was one of 10 schools selected randomly from around the state to receive a $100 gift card for their ShakeOut participation from Target Inc.

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EMD Gives Back to

Cyber is the only realm being attacked every day, and has implications in every sector across the nation. Traditional guardsmen - many whom have civilian careers at Microsoft, Amazon and other leading technology companies have the skillsets and experience that can help in a response.

Evacuation Projects Force Outreach Improvements Local Schools

WASHINGTON NATIONAL GUARDTHE ADJUTANT GENERALMajor General Bret Daugherty

THE

TAGLINE

Colleagues:

Reflecting on the past year, 2013 brought great success on many of the initiatives I laid out when I first became Adjutant General and director of the Washington Military Department. I want to build on that success in 2014, and ask for your continued support in meeting my key priorities, which include: • Domestic response: With the federal wartime operations winding down, we’ve placed a renewed emphasis on our original mission – providing critical resources before, during and after state emergencies to protect lives, our economy and our environment. To ensure all of our employees – both state and federal, full-time and traditional – are fully prepared to help Washingtonians when needed, our department now conducts coordinated, quarterly training exercises that involves both our National Guard and Emergency Management Division to test our response to a variety of domestic disasters. Our most recent exercises included the state-wide Operation Evergreen Ember to test our response to a wildfire, a table top discussion with other state agencies to coordinate our re-sponse following a winter storm, and a significant drill involving our local, state and federal partners to practice our response to a cyber attack.

• Agency integration: Facing continued budget cuts and declining resources, it’s important that our state and federal divisions work in greater partnership to combine resources. We’ve made a strong start by embracing Lean principles to eliminate waste and duplicating efforts. By doing so, the Military Department as a whole will ensure taxpayers receive the most value out of limited assets and provide the most efficient and effective response possible during disasters. • Community Outreach: We’ve placed a stronger emphasis on community outreach, and our efforts are paying off. National Guard soldiers and airmen are participating in events statewide to raise awareness of our work. Meanwhile, our Emergency Management Division continues to work directly with our citizens to help them prepare for possible

disasters. We need to continue to build strong relationships with our communities in 2014. This will help us best address the unique needs and concerns of Washingtonians to help

prevent disasters before they strike, and protect lives and property following an emergency. I’ll also be spending 2014 working with our agency and state leaders to explore

opportunities to expand our Washington Youth Academy, and identify a stable funding source to support emergency management programs.

Additionally, it’s my continued priority to ensure our employees have access to the most state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. This is

an effort to not only improve your working environment, but to ensure we have the tools necessary to meet our mission and quickly provide help to Washingtonians when they need it. I remain optimistic that 2014 will bring excit-ing news about regional readiness centers, Strykers and updated aviation equipment, and improvements to our state facilities. Congratulations to our entire WMD for a successful 2013. I’m proud to have you on our team as we achieve even greater success in the New Year.

Priorities

Maj. Gen Bret DaughertyThe Adjutant GeneralWashington National Guard

Washington State’s emergency management community accomplished a lot of good things in 2013, but we’re starting 2014 with renewed energy and a long resolution list. This was the consensus of the Emergency Management Division’s management team as we chatted before a recent meeting. It was apparent that most accomplishments were not just EMD’s, but involved multiple organizations. These items may not make front-page news, but all are essential to our state and the safety of our residents. Enhanced Hazard Mitigation Plan. Being one of eight states with an enhanced plan means Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recognizes Washington as a national leader in mitigation. It also means FEMA provides additional funds for projects that will make our communities safer in future disasters, a real benefit in these lean times. Marine Debris Task Force. Borne out of the tragic Japanese tsunami in 2011, the Task Force demonstrated exceptional interagency cooperation in helping remove tsunami debris from Washington beaches. The task force also worked closely with the Japanese Consulate in Seattle to identify items that washed ashore; in 2013 that included a 7-meter skiff on Makah Tribal lands and theremains of a fishing vessel near Taholah. Annual State Preparedness Report. This report is a requirement of a FEMA-driven process that in the past produced little meaningful data on the state’s emergency management capabilities. An interagency team led by EMD developed an improved process to better quantify our prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery mission capabilities. Development of an All-Hazards Business Re-Entry Access Pass. EMD’s Private Industry Program will roll out a new pass system in mid 2014 that businesses can use to access restricted or controlled areas to make post-disaster repairs to their facilities and infrastructure. Businesses are able to restore operations more quickly, a benefit to all after a disaster. The Great Washington ShakeOut. More than 872,760 Washingtonians participated in the Great ShakeOut drill in October, practicing the drop, cover, and hold-on earthquake safety technique. The Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Refuge. Last April, the people of the Ocosta School District approved a bond measure to construct a new elementaryschool that includes a tsunami evacuation refuge, the first of its kind in the nation. This occurred after the Westport community received tsunami evacuation planning assistance from the Project Safe Haven partnership, of which EMD is a member. EMD-and its partners-accomplished a lot in 2013. But there is more work to do. Here’s a few things we’ll be working on in 2014.-Refocusing and revitalizing the Emergency Management Council, which provides advice to the Governor and Adjutant General.-Continuing to modernize the state’s E911 infrastructure, increasingthe number of ways (voice, text and image) people can contact 911 call centers.-Completing revisions to sections of the Washington Administrative Code that modernize requirements for local emergency management organizations and revise the structure through which they receive funding.-Establishing a new goal for the Great ShakeOut on October 16-1million participants!We’re looking forward to accomplishing great things in 2014!

Preparing for a new year

WASHINGTON MILITARY DEPARTMENT

Robert EzelleDirector, Emergency Management DivisionWashington Military Department

Maj. Gen Bret DaughertyThe Adjutant GeneralWashington National Guard

FEATURED

GUESTEDITOR

Director - Emergency Managment DivisionRobert Ezelle

The 141st Civil Engineer Squadron at Fairchild AFB welcomes new Commander/Base Civil Engineer, Lt. Col. Curtis Puckett. Lt. Col. Puckett comes to the squadron with a wealth of knowledge and a diverse military background. Most recently as the 141st Communications Flight Commander, he is familiar with the base and its facilities, all of which will assist him in his new role as the Base Civil Engineer. Lt. Col. Puckett began his military career in 1985 as an Avionics Communications Specialist. He served four years on active duty on Anderson AFB, Guam and Fairchild AFB, WA. In 1989 he joined the Washington Air National Guard continuing in avionics while attending college full-time. He earned his degree in Electrical Engineering from Washington State University at Pullman in 1994. He left the ANG in 1995 as an Aircraft Quality Assurance Inspector at the rank of Master Sergeant. That year, he received his commission in the U. S. Coast Guard under the Direct Commission Engineer Program. He was assigned to USCG Headquarters in Washington, D.C. working in the Office of Acquisition as a Project Officer/Engineer. In 1998, he transferred to the USCG Reserves in Seattle, WA as the Chief of Admin for a joint Navy/USCG harbor defense unit. Lt. Col. Puckett returned to the ANG in 2000 as a Traditional Guardsman to later become an Aircraft Maintenance Officer in the 141st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. In 2005, he was among six nationwide selected to work BRAC/TFI issues for NGB/A4M at the ANG Readiness Center at Andrews AFB, MD. At the end of his two-year stat tour, he was hired by the 141st as the Aircraft MX Squadron Commander. He was a key leader advancing many Total Force Integration successes with the 92nd ARW. He has deployed overseas three times in support of Operations ENDURING and IRAQI FREEDOM. In 2010, he deployed with the 92nd ARW providing aircraft maintenance support at Manas Transit Center, Kyrgyzstan. All of the staff both state and federal are eager to assist Lt. Col. Puckett with the transition into the squadron. Welcome!

Greetings from Joint Services Support!

It is my distinct honor and privilege to serve as your new Joint Services Support (JSS) Director. I come to the JSS with over 23 years of experience as a soldier in the Army National Guard (Rhode Island, Missouri and Washington). My experience as both an enlisted Soldier and a commissioned officer through times of peace and war has taught me that life is very good and life can be very hard. Finding people who care about you during those hard times can make a life-changing difference.

The JSS is a caring team of people who are concerned about you personally and professionally. The JSS team is working hard to create strong and resilient Soldiers, Airmen and families in the Washington National Guard so that we can be prepared to answer the next call to serve our country and Washington state.

The JSS will take steps in 2014 to implement MG Daugherty’s domestic operations (Domops) plans for the WA Guard. This will help prepare our Guard and their families in becoming a more ready and resilient force and members of their community.

For many in our Guard family, the last thirteen years have been filled with joy, pain and memories that will never be forgotten as our formation has endured many deployments. Whether you are a seasoned Veteran or a new recruit, thank you for your service! I am thankful that there are still people like you who are willing to accept the challenge to fight for freedom and be ready to lend a helping hand when others are in trouble. As we begin a new year, please know that the Joint Services Support is here to lend you a helping hand to help you and your family grow stronger so that you can continue to answer the call—the call that my children will be forever grateful for.

Very Respectfully,CH (LTC) Don Brewer

WELCOME NEW COMMANDER/BASE CIVIL ENGINEER

WELCOME NEW JOINT SERVICE SUPPORT DIRECTOR

Story courtesy of Karin Johnson


A Different Kind Of MissionStory by CPT Joseph Siemandel State Public Affairs OfficerPhotos courtesy of LTC Anthony Bolante, 96th MET

96th Military Engagement Team takes on unique mission in Middle East

humanitarian efforts. Since most of the NATO standards match the U.S. military’s, it makes the MET uniquely qualified to assist.” Blanchard says. Another benefit of a guard unit having this mission is our ability, as Guardsmen in a Title 10 role, to assist in the synchronization of multiple State Partnership Programs and ARCENT/CENTCOM’s theater objectives. The synergy we are creating in the AOR is mutually beneficial to both the SPP and ARCENT; it is proving to be extremely effective.” The 96th MET mission is tailor made for the National Guard, since the majority of the unit is senior non-commissioned officers and officers that have a wealth of knowledge and skill sets outside of the military due to their civilian work. “It has been an opportunity for us to show how effective a Guard unit can be in these kinds of missions,” Blanchard says. “We have to be very diverse. If they need something in maintenance, something in leadership, something in information assurance, whatever they might need we have that wide ray of specialties and this particular mission is suited perfectly for the National Guard.” The 96th MET is scheduled to come home later this year, but have already been talking with their replacement unit, the Wisconsin National Guard 32nd MET to help prepare for a smooth transition. “The MET is likely to remain a National Guard mission, a perfect fit for our capabilities.”

Over the last 12 years of war fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States Military has seen numerous missions and worked with many foreign partners to accomplish its tasks. Now with the draw-down in forces, the mission of sustainability and capability building has taken lead. The Washington National Guard’s 96th Military Engagement Team (MET) is playing a significant role in completing the mission. The 96th MET, led by Col. Robin Blanchard, is designed to conduct military engagements between the United States military and foreign military organizations. Through these engagements they continue to build and shape relationships with other country’s military members and governments. “The missions are going really well,” Blanchard says of the team’s recent missions. “We are consistently asked to come back, nothing but great comments [from everyone].” With teams located in Kuwait and Jordan, the 96th MET has traveled all over the region meeting with foreign military officials to discuss topics such as English language and communicating effectively, Information Assurance, Sustainability and the Military Decision Making Process. The questions asked and discussions had are never too big or small for the 96th MET. “We receive our missions from the ARCENT Country Desk Officers who work with the embassies. The foreign militaries communicate to the U.S. embassy the topics they are interested in and the country desk officers come to the MET to resource the engagement. Many of the countries are interested in learning the NATO standards in order to support global

Story courtesy of Karin Johnson


This may just seem like another number, but when you think about the year 1636 being well before the Civil War, when the states were colonies and many years before the Army, Air Force, Marines or Navy were even around, the significance becomes evident. Friday, Dec. 13, the Washington National Guard celebrated the National Guard’s 377th birthday with a cake-cutting ceremony and chili cook-off at Building 33 on Camp Murray. Assistant Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Wallace Turner led the ceremony. “This was a great event to celebrate the dedication and commitment that our Washington National Guardsmen have consistently provided,” Turner said. “It’s a perfect time for our service members to enjoy chili, all while meeting their fellow Guard members and giving our command structure an informal and fun environment to say thank you.” Although this was a chance to show-off one’s “chili-master” ability and take the first-place prize for the year’s best chili, it was also an opportunity to reflect on the service members who have served in the past centuries. “To be able to celebrate the National Guard’s birthday means I have the honor of belonging to two families with long histories,” said the event’s point of contact, Sgt. 1st Class Richard Huyck. “I belong to the oldest military force in the United States, and I also belong to the family of American citizens. This family has always pulled together in times of crisis, and I’m proud to be a citizen-soldier.” The Washington National Guard kept its annual cake-cutting tradition going this year, with the youngest, oldest

and most senior members present to cut the National Guard birthday cake. BG Wallace Turner and Col. John Tuohy (the most senior) joined Spec. Ruben Toldeo (the youngest) and retired Col. Ron Weaver (the oldest) in cutting the guard birthday cake. With an opportunity to build morale, learn a little National Guard history, sample a variety of different chili recipes and mingle with their fellow Washington National Guard members and command members, this birthday celebration of 377 years was in no way just another number. For centuries, the National Guard has protected American communities and served the country by living an “Always Ready, Always There” line of defense in times of need - Hurricane Katrina, countless wildfires and the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Citizen-soldiers were serving (officially volunteering at that time) on United States soil before it was even officially U.S. soil. The National Guard doesn’t just serve on U.S. soil, though. More recently, it offered substantial assistance in the Afghanistan war, and it has provided almost 30 percent of the deployed combat force in the last decade. In fact, although some states this year are finally fortunate to have no deployed units during the holiday season, states such as Washington still have multiple units deployed in places such as Afghanistan and Kuwait. The Washington National Guard will not only serve the country during the holiday season, but will also have families left behind who are responsible for managing and celebrating the holidays without their spouse.

Story and photo by Gary LottMarketing Program Manager, Joint Services Support

“The youngest, the Oldest and most Senior”Col. John Tuohy, BG Wallace Turner, (Retired) Ron Weaver and Spc. Ruben Toledo cut the 377th National Guard birthday cake on Camp Murray in a traditional cake cutting ceremony.


The process of changing state rules to modernize 30-year-old emergency management program requirements and update funding methodologies for one of the state’s primary federal emergency management grant programs is drawing to a close. Emergency Management Division Director Robert Ezelle says it is important to recognize that partners in the emergency management community collaborated on these initiatives by contributing considerable time and energy to the rigorous rule-making process. The current funding methodology laid out in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 118-09 for the Emergency Management Preparedness Grant (EMPG) favors larger, well-funded local programs over those in small, resource-poor jurisdictions. Proposed revisions to the 30-year-old code provide a more equitable distribution of grant funds. In the new methodology, a share of the grant is set aside for the state emergency management program. Then, it provides

the smallest counties with a base funding amount, and larger city and county organizations with an amount based on population. Tribal partners’ funding also is based on aggregate population. The amount an organization receives will depend on the final grant award to the state, with each recipient providing a 50 percent non-federal match. The rules-making process to implement this new methodology is in the homestretch. In December 2013, EMD conducted public hearings in Spokane and Olympia on final language for the rule. Remaining steps include developing a summary of public comments, a final legal review, sharing the summary with all stakeholders, and filing a rule-making order with the Office of the Code Reviser. The rule will take effect 31 days from the filing date, to be determined. The new methodology should be ready for the 2014 funding cycle that starts at mid-year. In a similar process, EMD has been working to mod-ernize another 30-year-old code, WAC 118-30, which describes the processes for establishing a local emergency management program, program elements and minimum requirements. The new WAC will describe what local programs should be able to do and what services they should provide to their communities, based on requirements outlined in state law (Washington Emergency Management Act, RCW 38.52). Stakeholders recently completed an initial review of the proposed code language. Further legal review, public hearings, and filing of a rule-making order will occur later this year.

The Washington Youth Academy graduated its 10th class on December 21, 2013, with an emotional and inspiring commencement ceremony. There weren’t many dry eyes in the packed auditorium of Bremerton High School as the audience listened to the speeches of the Cadets. Their words were moving and powerful as they described how the program helped them to overcome their individual challenges, the friendships they had formed and how much they

respected the Cadre, teachers and staff. Another highlight of the event was when a Cadet took the oath of enlistment into the U.S. Army National Guard on stage for all to witness. The oath was administered by the Cadet’s Cadre platoon leader. After 5 years, the Washington Youth Academy continues to be a leading program among the 36 National Guard Youth Challenge Programs in 29 states across the country.

Story by Chris Acuna, Washington Youth Academy

Ten Classes Strong


When we think of serving others, Second Lieutenant Hans Zeiger and his contributions to the community of Puyallup come to mind first. Not only does he serve as one of the 194th Wing’s Public Affairs Officers as part of the Washington Air National Guard; but he also serves in the State House of Representatives for the 25th Legislative District (Puyallup, Fife, South Hill, Summit-Waller, Midland, and Parkland). After being elected in 2010, Zeiger hit the ground running, and immediately found himself sitting on four commit-tees in Olympia; Higher Education (assistant ranking); Transpor-tation; Early Learning and Human Services; and Technology and Economic Development. If that weren’t enough, outside of the legislature, he is an adjunct professor of Political Science at Seattle Pacific University. He also volunteers on several boards, including the Daffodil Festival, the One Another Foundation, the Puyallup Kiwanis Foundation, the Puyallup Library Foundation, the Boy Scouts of America Pacific Harbors Council, the William Ruckelshaus Center, and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition. He is also a professional writer, who has authored two books and has been featured in publications like the Seattle Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Baltimore Sun. Zeiger grew up in Puyallup, and attended Puyallup High School, where he par-ticipated in student leadership and cross county. After High School, Zeiger attended Hillsdale College in Southern Michigan where he received his Bachelor’s degree in American Studies, and then received his Master’s degree in Public Policy from Pepperdine University. After college, he started a project in Puyallup documenting the experience of local World War II Veterans and others who contributed to the war effort. As he

interviewed numerous veterans, he began to realize that there are some lessons about service that cannot be taught in a classroom or written in a book. He began to feel a deep need to serve his country and decided to join the Washington Air National Guard; leaning on long-time friend and mentor Lt. Col. Mike Moran for advice. “Lt. Col. Mike Moran was my Boy Scout leader in Troop 174 in Puyallup when I was growing up,” said Zeiger. “Some of my best memories in Scouting are singing camp songs that he taught us. We also spent a couple weeks together in 2001 backpacking through Philmont Scout Ranch, New Mexico. Whatever good I can do for this state and country as an Air

Guardsman will largely be on account of the lessons I learned in Scouting. Lt. Col. Moran had a lot to do with that.” Serving others runs in Zeiger family. His great uncle Colonel Ross Greening was a pilot during World War II, flying raids over Japan and Italy and spent much of 1943 as a Prisoner of War after being shot down over Italy. Col. Greening escaped and hid for seven months before being recaptured. After the war, he returned to the states, organizing a traveling museum about POW life, and served as Air Force Attache in Australia. Zeiger’s grandfather Martin Nisker also served as an officer in the Air Force as a Navigator. He was on missions over Europe during WWII, and then rejoined the Air Force later during the Korean Conflict.

“So the Air Force runs in my blood. I thought about my grandfather and my great uncle quite a bit when I was at Maxwell AFB [for training]. I was and still am totally inspired by those two men and the legacy they left, “said Zeiger.

Story by Maj. Lisa Dowling, Washington Air National Guard

A year ago Hezekiuh Allen never would have expected to be heading to the West Point, the United State’s Military Academy, but the 18-year old got the news early that he became the first Washington Army National Guardsman to gain admission into the famous academy in New York. “I didn’t ever expect that I would be going to West Point, it occurred to me only three months ago that it was even a possibility,” Allen said. Every year, West Point receives over 15,000 applications for high school students looking for admission, out of that approximately 1,300 are accepted. The Army National Guardsmen and Army Reservists receive only 85 slots a year combined and receive more than 250 applications, so admission into the academy is extremely difficult. “West Point is sort of a dream come true, because if it wasn’t for me being in the Guard, I wouldn’t have gotten in,” Allen said. “I messed around my first year and a half at high school, but it was really getting a 4.0 [GPA] the rest of school and

taking AP level classes that did it for me.” It was the decision that Allen made a

month after his 17th birthday that changed his path, when he decided to join the

Washington Army National Guard as a Chemical Specialist (74D) and chose the spilt option,

where he attended Basic Combat Training between his junior and senior year. When he returned home was when his dream started becoming a reality. “It was the minute I got off the plane to come home [from Basic Training] I talk-ed to my mom about it and she was real excited about it after my dad explained that it was a real possibility,” Allen said. Allen is not new to the military,

he was raised in a military family, and his father is

currentlystationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. “After talking with my parents, I knew in my heart it is what I wanted to do,” Allen said.

Story by Cpt. Joseph Siemandel, Washington Army National Guard



Story by Spc. Samantha Ciaramitaro


They’re becoming so frequent that headlines about it don’t seem so shocking anymore. In 2013 alone, hackers stole personal information from Bank of America customers, gathered passwords from Facebook users, and most recently, 70 million Target customers had their privacy compromised when cyber attackers hacked into the company’s network. While in most of the talked-about instances, hackers have targeted personal information - those who commit cyber crime have the potential to shut down utilities, close down our transportation systems and grind government services to a halt. The result could not only cost millions, even billions of dollars - but could threaten lives if citizens lose access to water and electricity. To address this emerging threat, the Washington National Guard, along with 25 other government agencies and private-sector partners within the state of Washington, helped lead a cyber exercise to plan and design a standardized response in the event of a major cyber incident. Agency’s who participated ranged from utility districts to critical infrastructure and telephone companies. “What we had was a cyber storm exercise, which is a series the Department of Homeland Security sponsors on a yearly basis that are designed to test out state and local’s capabilities to respond to cyber incidents,” said Washington Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Kelly Hughes. “DHS is trying to standardize what kind of things we can get across the board so we have a standard response and standard expectations on DHS -- what they can provide, what capabilities they can bring to a significant cyber event.” “What we have done is designed a plan so we have a standard response to a cyber incident - just like we have for fires and earthquakes. You pull the plan off the shelf, and boom we know what to do.” Hughes added, “We know what kind of forces are going to be required, what kinds of resources are needed, where they are going and what they are going to do.” “It’s all about keeping the lights on and public safety. For utilities, it’s part of the critical infrastructure -- keeping the lights on, keeping the complete systems up. It’s one of the foundation pieces for any part of our community so it is very important that we protect that,” explained Benjamin Beberness, Chief Information Officer for Snohomish County Public Utility District. Beberness said, “Our goals are to really test our incident response plan. We all kind of joke, ‘do you have one?’ and if you do, ‘have you ever exercised it?’ So this exercise we have been testing our incident response plans to see where we have gaps and what can we do better.” “It affects every single thing that we do from procurement to training to deployments. We are so dependent on the internet and cyber tools to do our daily jobs as we continue to face potential draw downs. The only way we can do that is with automation and we have to rely on systems even heavier. We need to make sure those systems are secure and safe and we also have to be able to defend the nation,” Hughes said. “We are trying to work with the National Guard to figure out if there is a way we can have them come to our utility and we can teach them how utilities are structured, the types of software and hardware designs we use for cyber security and the tools we use. Then we would also get education from the Guard on how to better improve our cyber security programs and educate our staff,” said Beberness. “We are leveraging the traditional guardsmen. The National Guard is such a fit for a state response, including cyber. We have both the skill sets and the relationships. We have a lot of leaders from the local communities so that sponsorship helps the acceptance when the Guard shows up versus the active duty. It’s an unknown entity. We live here, we work here, that is our biggest strength,” said Hughes. Cyber is the only realm that is being attacked every day, and has implications in every sector across the nation. Traditional guardsmen - many of whom have civilian careers at Microsoft, Amazon and other leading technology companies - have the skill sets and experiences that can help in a response. Some of our guardsmen work in very high level security jobs or incident response types of positions in the cyber community. This is a natural extension of what they do. Now they can offer that valuable resource in a state active duty status under the direction of the TAG as the Homeland Security Advisor.


The Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division (EMD) recently helped two Washington Coast communities submit hazard mitigation grant proposals to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that, if awarded, will address their life-threatening vulnerability to tsunamis. Our work will help meet one of WMD Director and Adjutant General Bret Daugherty’s priorities to enhance domestic emergency preparedness, and provide coastal communities with a much-needed shelter that will help save lives during the next Cascadia Subduction Zone event. The City of Long Beach and the Ocosta School District in Westport both developed proposals to build a vertical evacuation structure in their respective communities. FEMA calls them tsunami safe areas, designed to provide a refuge of last resort for people caught in tsunami inundation zones with no other evacuation options available. Once built, these safe areas will be the first such structures in the country, setting an important example of tsunami mitigation for other vulnerable coastal communities around the world. Both projects are based upon the results of EMD’s Project Safe Haven, a grassroots effort in 2009-2012 that developed strategies for tsunami evacuation along the Washington coast. Project Safe Haven found that many communities on the Pacific shoreline have little or no reachable high ground to escape a tsunami, and their planned evacuation routes rely on roads and bridges susceptible to severe damage by a tsunami-generating earthquake. In other words, the people most likely to face a major tsunami would be unlikely to escape it, regardless of timely evacuation alerts. The structural design concepts developed by Project Safe Haven established vertical evacuation as a sound mitigation strategy for coastal areas. Both Long Beach and Ocosta contributed to this effort, and they now lead the way in putting those concepts into practice. Long Beach plans to build a concrete-reinforced earthen berm that would rise 42 feet above the area’s normal high water mark and hold about 500-600 people atop its highest point. That’s 18 feet above the maximum wave height of the projected tsunamis that could inundate the area just 30 minutes after a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the coast. The site of Long Beach’s engineered high ground will double as a city park and community recreational amenity, helping the city incorporate their tsunami safe area into everyday community life. The Washington National

Guard has expressed interest in contributing labor to the project, which would further reduce the city’s costs and demonstrate the Guard’s commitment to enhancing the state’s disaster resilience.Ocosta School District plans to provide the same life-saving function but with a very different structural design. Their tsunami safe area will be a uniquely engineered school gymnasium located on the Ocosta combined school campus in Westport. It features a rooftop evacuation deck that’s elevated 55 feet above the normal high water mark and capable of holding at least 1,500 people safely above the highest projected tsunami waves. In a worst-case tsunami scenario, the death rate in this community is projected to exceed 90%. Ocosta responded to this grim prediction by committing to build their tsunami safe area with or without FEMA grant assistance. The financial cost to build these structures is high. Cost estimates put Long Beach’s evacuation berm project at $1.9 million and Ocosta’s roof-deck structure at nearly $3.3 million—large price tags for small communities. That’s why the FEMA hazard mitigation grants they seek are so important. If awarded, the grants would cover 75 percent of their project costs, and for Long Beach, the State of Washington will cover half of the city’s remaining 25 percent cost share (or 12.5 percent of total project costs). So their $1.9 million dollar project could, with grant funding, be completed with just $237,500 of local funds. EMD worked closely with both communities to develop and submit strong project applications and will manage the FEMA grants if awarded. All of FEMA’s hazard mitigation grants pass through EMD to the local communities. Currently, EMD’s mitigation staff actively manages 57 such grants, each one helping to fund mitigation projects and planning efforts throughout the state. FEMA’s mitigation grant programs are competitive and federal funds are scarce, so there is no guarantee that Long Beach or Ocosta will secure the FEMA grants they seek. But regardless of FEMA’s final award decisions, EMD will continue to encourage and support the development of viable tsunami safe area proposals. With clear life-safety benefits for our coastal communities, these projects exemplify the Washington Military Department’s core mission: to minimize the impact of emergencies and disasters on the people, property, environment, and economy of Washington State.

Emergency Management works with coast cities on Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Projects

Story by Tim CookEmergency Management Division


It’s inevitable. History has shown that the West Coast is due for a large-scale, Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) earthquake. And while no one can predict the exact date, it is possible to anticipate the likely impacts on the region’s communities, infrastructure, and econo-my. The Washington Military Department has taken extraor-dinary measures to prepare citizens and first responders for this expected event, and continues to identify challenges that may slow or prohibit critical assistance following the quake. It’s likely roads and bridges will crumble. Phone and internet access will be cutoff. Food and water supplies will be limited. Hospitals and other health care facilities will be unusable. Additionally, it’s expected that some Coastal communi-ties may be under water from a resulting tsunami. And given the damage to our transportation infrastruc-ture, it’s likely the only way to reach those living along the coast trapped in the wreckage will be by air. Helicopters and planes will be critical to conducting search and rescue operations, logistics movement, medical transport and aerial surveys. However, along with limited access to utilities, water and health care – a CSZ event will also greatly reduce or elimi-nate access to fuel and airports. Both are required for planes and helicopters to conduct an efficient, effective aviation response. To address these challenges, the Washington National Guard, in coordination with our Emergency Management Divi-sion, has pulled together aviation experts that serve a variety of local, state and federal agencies – including the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Washington State

Patrol, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Defense, and local sheriff ’s offices. “We’ve asked these agencies to partner with us and form a team to help identify those critical resources that are required to sustain the aviation response following a CSZ event,” said Washington National Guard LTC Clayton Braun, who pulled together the first meeting to unite the aviation community. “We’ll be working in coordination to develop an airspace management plan, and create a prioritization process to ensure we do our very best to protect lives and property following a major event.” It’s part of a much larger effort. Recently, the Washington National Guard began the process of developing a comprehensive response and recovery strategy – similar to our Emergency Man-agement Division’s “Catastrophic Incident Annex” now included in the state’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. The aviation aspect is just one component of the overall response and recovery strategy. “We can always just hope that a Cascadia Subduction Zone event won’t happen in our lifetime,” Braun said. “But just hoping would be irresponsible. We have to be realistic, and accept that a devastating event could happen at any time. And when it does – we will be prepared.”

Story by Karina ShagrenWashington Military Department

A WARNG HRF team member delivers a HRF and Domestic Operations capabilities briefing to South King County, Zone 1 on Nov 20, to increase overall awareness of National Guard capabilities and assets.

On Nov 20, Homeland Response Force (HRF) J6 and 56th Theater Information Operations Group (TIOG) Communications conducted a demonstration to civilian first responders and Emergency Management personnel.

HEPAT, partnered with EMD provides a class on the NIMS resource request process on Dec 12 .

On Dec 11, A HRF team member presented the Domestic Operations/Homeland Response Force brief and discussed the basics of the Request For Assistance process (RFA) with assistance from the State Emer-gency Management Division.

Within minutes - sometimes seconds - a seemingly quiet, normal day can turn into a life threatening emergency. A dirty bomb found at a nearby port. White powder found in an envelope at a local post office. A suspicious backpack discovered at a community parade. The attacks on September 11th, 2001 opened many eyes to new dangerous possibilities, and forced a stronger emphasis on anti-terrorism efforts. As a result, the Washington National Guard developed one of the first Homeland Response Forces (HRF) in the nation. Made up of nearly 600 soldiers (and airmen?), this highly-trained, highly-specialized unit can quickly respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high yield explosive threats - providing Washingtonians with a unique asset to further protect lives, property, and the economy of Washington state. To improve coordination with the broader Emergency Management community, and ensure Washington citizens receive the best response possible during a disaster or emergency, the Washington National Guard HRF has made community outreach a priority, participating in more than 70 events during the last 10 months. In the course of these events we contacted over 200 people involved in EM within Washington in order to introduce or reinvigorate interest in the capabilities of the National Guard. HRF Outreach presented the HRF/DOMOPS brief across the state throughout multiple counties, state agencies and the majority of the Regional Homeland Security Coordination Districts. Central to our success in generating interest in the Washington National Guard was the publication of our Domestic Response Capabilities Handbook, now being updated, which we distributed to every County Emergency Operations Center and multiple related organizations. Having this book on the desk of Emergency Managers across the state continues to attract interest and requests for additional presentations from the Outreach team. As we move forward into 2014 the Outreach team continues to build on the relationships established with our civilian and military partners. Increasing opportunities to showcase the Guard will remain a focus along with increasing participation in training alongside the civilian EM community. As well, we continue to introduce Guard units and capabilities to their local EM personalities in order to foster enduring partnerships and synchronize preparedness efforts. The Emergency Management community is beginning to recognize the WA National Guard as a valid partner, our efforts this year will continue to reinforce this belief.

Story by Spc Samantha Ciaramitaro andCPT Jeff McDonald, Home Land Response Force, Outreach Chief


“Our fitness goals for service members are to overcome past injuries, pass their PT tests, assist with issues with height and weight and help service members stay in the Guard. Overall, we want to help build a more resilient and fit Washington National Guard.” The Joint Services Support Directorate has a new face for their Fitness and Resiliency program that follows the National Guard’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) standards. Help welcome 1LT Kyereme Blanding. Blanding’s fitness past brings to the Washington National Guard a perfect candidate for the Fit & Resiliency (FRT) Program. Kyereme played two years of collegiate football for the University of Central Florida (UCF), a Division 1 school, and has had two knee surgeries for a torn MCL and ACL. This brings great personal experience and perspective from someone who has trained with some of the most physically fit athletes, as well as someone who has and is currently still going through the many difficulties of recovery that a major injury can bring. “It’s important to use achievable fitness progress goals,” Blanding said. “If you haven’t worked out in a while don’t just go and run a mile, start with one lap at a time until you build up your comfort level.” The FRT program consists of Master Resilience Train-ing (MRT) and Resilience Trainer Assistant (RTA) training, all of which fits under the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) standards for the guard. The classes are available for service members interested in improving their physical fitness and resiliency. Members of the guard should contact their AGR and/or Readiness NCOs to access the Digital Training Management System (DTMS) to check their eligibility status. The FRT program will conduct nine RTA courses and four MRT courses in 2014. Additional classes can be scheduled for 10 or more and the FRT program can also become mobile and travel to your unit or armory (as long as 10 or more participants are involved). “We tailor the training to the individual, not the individual into the training,” Kyereme added. “We want our training to be geared specifically for you, and to feel comforable.” Fitness and resiliency isn’t just about lifting hundreds of pounds or running several miles either. The FRT courses will implement typical exercises like weightlifting and 5K runs, but will also incorporate more unorthodox military exercises such as yoga, crossfit and Pilates. The FRT course will also bring in physical therapists and nutritionists to help service members become more aware of their own lifestyles and fitness/nutritional needs. “In the coming months, we will offer a plethora of dif-ferent exercises to best fit the variety of individuals that comprise the diverse Washington National Guard family,” said Kyereme. “To become a more fit and resilient force will not only benefit the families and communities of Washington State, but will also lead to a healthier and more physically/mentally fit National Guard.

As LEAN process improvements continue to spread across state government, the Washington Military Department (WMD) has seen a multitude of successes as its implementation spreads throughout the agency. The enthusiasm from the player’s agency-wide has been an integral part of the success of the pro-gram. “LEAN provides greater hope for an actual cultur-al shift. It’s not just top down, it’s also bottom up,” explained Rebecca Cole, process improvement coordinator for the WMD. Cole added, “It relies on employees, customers, stakeholders, and leadership to create an end to end system of change.” One great success story lies in the extreme improvement in the contracting process. A 2012 study showed that contracts were taking 45-60 days from initiation to completion. With the implementation of LEAN, the average is now 6 days. The key to success was changing the routing process to an electronic format and removing unnecessary reviewers. This process was also expanded from strictly grant sub-recipient contracts to all Emergency Management contracts, with a significant reduction in defects. The process worked so well it is now being expanded to environmental contracts. LEAN is not just being utilized internally. “The goal is to work across value streams,” explains Cole. Customers outside of the agency are engaged to ensure they are being served properly. The contracting success story is followed by many others. For example, the Emergency Management Division (EMD) and the payroll office held a Value Stream Mapping workshop on the EMD timesheet submittal process. The timesheet submittal requirement has been shortened from 5 days in advance to 1-1.5 days in advance and is continuously being looked at for improvement. A new armory mail process was also implemented by using a commercial third party mail metering system rather than employees purchasing, inventorying, and recording the use of postage stamps. The new process resulted in an 80% reduction of overhead. WMD Director and Adjutant General Bret Daugherty has made using Lean process improvements a priority of the agency to ensure taxpayers receive the most out of limited resources.

LEANThe future of

improvementsStory by Maj. Christina Martin, JFHQ Public Affairs Officer

Story by Gary Lott, Marketing Program Manager, Joint Services Support

The Washington Army National Guard Recruiting & Retention Battalion’s LTC Anthony Lieggi and Sfc. Michael Stutzke presented checks to three Spokane area veteran’s groups with funds made during September’s March for the Fallen at a Spokane Chiefs Hockey Club match.

Airmen from the 242 Combat Communications Squadron, represented the Washington Air National Guard in the Wreath’s Across America ceremony held at the Eastern Washington Veterans Cemetery, Medical Lake, Washington.

Last month, The Tri-Tech Skills Center in Kennewick, WA held a critical skills workshop and Echo Co. 181st BSB was there support-ing the event. The unit sent three mechanics along with equipment for the workshop. The Guardsmen briefed the students about the different pieces of equipment and their job duties in Echo Co.

Soldiers of the 96th Military Engagement Team (MET) and HHC, 181st BSB “BDOC” raised money for the St. Jude Childrens Hospital (Memphis, TN) participating in the shadow 1/2-marathon at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait on December 7, 2013.

EMD Gives Back to Local School Cause for celebration: Rowdiness happens rarely in the hallways of the Life Christian Academy in Tacoma, but rowdy good cheer broke out briefly among these third-graders when they and their principal, Suzanne Corrigan (on the left in dark clothing), accepted a prize for the school’s participation in the Great Washington ShakeOut on October 17. Making the presen-tation were External Affairs Director Wendy Freitag (in red) and Public Educator Rosanne Garrand (seated) from the Washington Emergency Management Division. In the midst of the celebration, Corrigan said the school plans to pass the gift along to a Life Christian family whose home was recently lost to fire. Life Christian was one of ten schools selected randomly from around the state to receive a $100 gift card for their ShakeOut participation from Target Inc. This year’s ShakeOut’s drop, cover and hold on drill saw 614 K-12 schools and school districts join up, totaling 515,993 students, staff and faculty. Other schools receiving Target prizes in addition to Life Christian were Berney Elementary School in Walla Walla; Catharine Blaine School (K-8) in Seattle; Creekside Elementary School in Sammamish; Faith Lutheran in Redmond; Meridian High School in Bellingham; Midland Elementary School in Tacoma; North Pines Middle School in Spokane; Olympia High School in Olympia; and Puesta del Sol Elementary School in Bel-levue. And remember—it’s never too early to plan ahead. Next year’s Great Washington ShakeOut is already on the calendar for 10:16 a.m. on Thursday, October 16, 2014. Photo by Linda Davis, Life Christian Academy.

SERVING COMMUNITY

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Story by Wendy Freitag, External Affairs Director, EMD

TSgt Tavis Delaney and SrA Woodford of the 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, Washington Air National Guard, integrate with FACs (Forward Air Controllers) of the 5th RALC (5th Regiment of The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery) to employ Close Air Support uti-lizing air assets from both the Discovery Air Defense Services as well as The Royal Canadian Air Force. Upon conclusion of their two week joint training exercise, Delaney and Woodford were awarded a plaque from the Commander of the 5th RALC, honoring the training they were able to provide and our alliance with the Canadian Military.

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