The South Carolina State Guard (State Defense Force) recently participated in a large scale US Army exercise called Operation Guardian Spring. The mission involved nearly 1,000 soldiers from a wealth of units from multiple departments and branches of The US Military. Units from The Army National Guard, Air National Guard, US Army Reserve and of course South Carolina State Guard, all worked hand in hand in this major exercise. The training focused on a series of exercises from a mass casualty event, convoy ambushes to base defense attacks. All the training scenarios revolved around providing rapid deployment and conducting of Foreign Humanitarian Assistance (FHA) operations.
The State Guard’s role in the exercises was to assist in communications support, while the Army units participated in the combat related roles.
Operation Guardian SpringThe South Carolina State Guard recently completed participation in Operation Guardian Spring, a joint exercise with the South Carolina Army National Guard and Joint Air Base Charleston.The exercise consisted of elements of SCSG Communications, the 59th ATC, 218th MEB, 117th EN BDE, JFHQ, and Army Reserve Unit, 874th FRST Commanders, and took place between McCrady Training Center and North Air Field, and consisted of Company-level and below training was overlaid with Brigade-level injects that included multiple base defense probes, convoy ambushes, displaced civilians on the battlefield (transported to the “UN Aid Camp), a MASS CAL event and other casualty events, a DV Visit with CH-47 transport and MAT-V PSDClose to 1000 participants were involved between planning and execution of the operation.
U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers with the 59th Aviation Troop Command, South Carolina National Guard, transported distinguished visitors, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Jenkins, assistant adjutant general, South Carolina National Guard and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Robin Stilwell, director of the joint staff South Carolina National Guard, from a U.S. Army CH-47F Chinook helicopter and transferred to the 132nd Military Company, 51st Military Police Battalion, to provide a tactical convoy to Forward Operating Base Palmetto be briefed at the tactical operations center for “Operation Guardian Spring,” a field exercise involving multiple South Carolina Army National Guard commands and partner agencies in Eastover, South Carolina, March 31, 2023. Operation Guardian Spring challenged the participating units with tasks and training scenarios supporting the deployment and the conduction of Foreign Humanitarian Assistance (FHA) operations. During the training, the South Carolina Army National Guard units from army aviation, military police, infantry, transportation, engineers, and maintenance operated jointly, replicating the organizational and operational structure of a typical FHA operation. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Tim Andrews)
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17South Carolina State Guard Soldiers with the South Carolina Military Department, supported Forward Operating Base Palmetto with communications and data cellular services to the tactical operations center for 59th Troop Command, South Carolina National Guard, to continuously monitor status, situation, and transmit to higher among the battlespace within “Operation Guardian Spring,” a field exercise involving multiple South Carolina Army National Guard commands and partner agencies in Eastover, South Carolina, March 31, 2023. Operation Guardian Spring challenged the participating units with tasks and training scenarios supporting the deployment and the conduction of Foreign Humanitarian Assistance (FHA) operations. During the training, the South Carolina Army National Guard units from army aviation, military police, infantry, transportation, engineers, and maintenance operated jointly, replicating the organizational and operational structure of a typical FHA operation. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Tim Andrews)
Sources: South Carolina State Guard – DVIDS