CAMP JOSEPH T. ROBINSON, Ark. – Before winter storms close roads, down power lines or isolate communities, the Arkansas National Guard is preparing Soldiers and Airmen for one of the National Guard’s fundamental missions: responding when civil authorities and communities need military support during emergencies.

More than 40 Soldiers and Airmen recently completed the Guardian Response Training Academy, a four-day course that prepares service members to support civil authorities during state active duty missions. Through classroom instruction, hands-on training and a realistic disaster response exercise, participants developed the skills needed to assist state residents during emergencies safely.

“Our Soldiers and Airmen spend the majority of their training time mastering their military specialties and wartime mission-essential tasks,” said Col. Tommy Edwards, the Arkansas National Guard’s director of military support. “The Guardian Response Training Academy provides a dedicated opportunity to prepare for the unique civil support missions they perform here at home. It allows us to focus on the tasks required during disasters and emergencies, ensuring we are ready to support the people of Arkansas whenever we’re called.”

Throughout the course, students received instruction in chainsaw operations, power line safety, vehicle recovery techniques, personnel accountability and radio communications. The course included a winter storm response exercise that challenged students to coordinate with multiple agencies while serving as liaison officers in a realistic emergency scenario.

“The purpose of this course is to provide our Soldiers with the tools they need to serve the citizens of Arkansas in their time of need,” said Capt. Scott Coldeira, Guardian Response Training Academy officer in charge. “Our goal is to equip them with skills they can apply immediately in the field during an emergency in order to keep Arkansans safe.”

A hallmark of the academy is its emphasis on building partnerships before disaster strikes. Students trained alongside instructors and subject matter experts from the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, or ADEM; Arkansas State Police; Camp Robinson Fire Department; Arkansas Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services; First Electric Cooperative; and other response partners.

“One of the most important aspects of Guardian Response Training Academy is partner integration,” Edwards said. “Training alongside ADEM, utility providers, first responders and other partners builds relationships before a crisis occurs, creates a shared understanding of each organization’s capabilities and strengthens the teamwork necessary to deliver a faster, more coordinated response when Arkansans need it most.”

For many participants, those relationships became one of the course’s greatest takeaways.

“The most important lesson I’ve learned in this course is the importance of building relationships,” said Staff Sgt. Maricarmen Cavazos of the 189th Civil Engineering Squadron. “Knowing who I’m working with now will allow me to work seamlessly with our partner agencies when we’re called upon for state missions.”

Cavazos said the training will also help her prepare other Airmen for emergency response missions.

The academy reinforces a simple principle: Emergency responders must be prepared to operate safely in already dangerous conditions.

“When they are called, there is already a major problem,” said Michael Davis, firefighter and engineer with the Camp Robinson Fire Department. “We don’t want them to become a part of the problem. We want to equip them so that they can be the solution.”