BUTLERVILLE, Ind. (WOOD) — Every second is critical when responding to an emergency, but those moments become even more precious during a mass threat to the U.S.
The Michigan Army National Guard joined soldiers from 40 different U.S. locations to participate in “Exercise Vibrant Response 18,” an operational and tactical scenario training strengthening their capabilities of responding to a nuclear attack.
THE SCENARIO
Vibrant Response 18 is one of the largest confirmation exercises that the Department of Defense conducts for its specialized response forces, according to Michigan National Guard officials.
Soldiers were asked to react as if a 20-kiloton nuclear bomb exploded in Bothell, Washington – a suburb outside of Seattle.
“The current death toll - and it rose - it was reported today was 20,000 (people),” Col. Chris McKinney, Chief of Operations of the 46th Military Police Command, said.
The rising death toll was just one piece of the evolving puzzle.