CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa -- Marine Corps Installations Pacific will conduct Exercise Constant Vigilance 2012, an all-hazards exercise designed to improve incident response procedures, Sept. 10-14.
CV-12 will focus on natural disasters. Specifically, an earthquake of a significant magnitude, which could generate a potentially devastating tsunami on Okinawa within four hours.
The exercise is especially relevant since Japan and neighboring countries in the Pacific region have recently experienced natural disasters to include earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons, according to Tim Morello, the mission assurance director for MCIPAC.
"This exercise is critical to the readiness of MCIPAC personnel to respond to a crisis and protect those who live and work on our bases," said Morello.
Participants in the exercise will include: MCIPAC first responders, other U.S. Armed Services, Department of Defense Dependent Schools, the U.S. Department of State, and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
During the exercise, MCIPAC will use the new tsunami warning system, as well as humanitarian evacuation routes designed to allow base personnel and local community members access through installations for quicker evacuation. Additionally, MCIPAC will exercise critical aspects of the Okinawa Area Emergency Evacuation Plan, according to Morello.
The Marine Corps will also rehearse evacuations on portions of Lester Middle School grounds, U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Kinser Elementary, the Kinser Child Development Center, low-lying barracks, the Exchange on Camp Kinser and Marine Corps Community Services. Camp services will also operate shelters and safe havens on Camps Foster, Lester and Kinser.
"The exercise gives military family members the chance to consider and plan for a large-scale disaster where they would have to leave their homes," said Jessica Almaas, the physical security officer for the Camp Foster emergency operations center. "Residents can see how long it would actually take to gather the essentials and walk to the closest safe haven. Even if military members and their families live on other bases or out in town, this exercise should get everyone thinking about where they would go and realize it would most likely be on foot."
In addition to a good evacuation plan, family members should have a good communication plan in case cell phone services go down.
"Another important aspect to consider is that, during a crisis, mobile phone carriers can shut down due to overload," said Almaas. "Everyone should establish a good back-up communication plan with their family."
CV-12 is designed to give families the opportunity to establish a good evacuation and communication plan, so that it will be easy to implement in the future, should it be needed.
"Rehearsing evacuations, establishing shelters and safe havens, and moving critical equipment for protection now, before a crisis, allows MCIPAC to more efficiently and effectively do these things in a real-world situation," said Morello.