PHOENIX, Ariz. — Members of the Arizona Army and Air National Guard participated in a Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration Training (JRSOI) event at Papago Park Military Reservation July 8 - 10.
More than 50 members of the Guard participated in the three-day training conducted by U.S. Northern Command. The training, which is conducted in all 54 states and territories, is customized to each organization's unique differences in geography, force structure, nature of threats, state law and policy, and the requirements of state emergency management agencies.
"We conduct this training to help states develop a plan in case of natural disaster or crisis," said Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brian Brooks, U.S. Northern Command team chief for JRSOI training. "The primary objective is to have a plan to move people and equipment efficiently from point A to point B. Civilians are usually in charge in these situations and the military has to understand the relationship to provide civil support while integrating into operations."
Joint Task Force Arizona is charged with the responsibility of identifying the assets and mission capabilities for each of the components of the Arizona National Guard and pairing them with the support request from civil authorities during a crisis. When civilian incident commanders are in need of immediate assistance, they cannot wait for one service to figure out how to work with another, creating the need for joint operations.
Principles of JRSOI training include unity of command, where a commander controls movement and centrally coordinates efforts, synchronization, where personnel, equipment and materials are linked, and balance, where flow, scheduling and requirements are weighed equally for responsive need.
"This training is the most valuable thing we can do as Joint Task Force Arizona," said Army Lt. Col. Kris Bast, the director of military support for the joint task force. "We need to know who to call on for what need -- whether that is a wing for air support and capabilities or a major command for ground operations and equipment. Our greatest value is bringing everyone together to meet operational requirements under a unified incident command."
