Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River held an emergency response exercise, Feb. 1, as part of the Navy’s Solid Curtain/Citadel Shield 2017 (SC-CS17) exercise.
SC-CS17 is an anti-terrorism/force protection exercise conducted by Navy installations within the continental United States. The purpose of SC-CS17 is to ensure that the Navy is ready to respond to changing and dynamic threats at all times.
Part of NAS Patuxent River’s exercise focused on cooperation between installation and local agencies when responding to an emergency on base. During the exercise, NAS Patuxent River fire and police personnel worked side-by-side with representatives of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department and the Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) to quickly and effectively handle the exercise scenarios.
“This exercise is a perfect example of the tremendous working relationship NAS Patuxent River has with agencies in St. Mary’s County,” said Capt. Scott Starkey, NAS Patuxent River commanding officer. “The team of professionals within the fence line at Pax River and outside in the local community are both committed to the safety of this community, and exercises like Solid Curtain/Citadel Shield allow us to train together to help maintain that safety in the event of a real world emergency.”
Starkey added that he was pleased with the positive response of all involved in the exercise and its training effectiveness.
“In the military we try to train as realistically as possible to be ready for any situation,” said Starkey. “Today’s exercise provided all involved with effective training that will better prepare them to respond to an emergency in the future.”
