"The homeland response force is a regionally aligned Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, high-yield explosive asset established in response to natural, man-made, or terrorist initiated CBRNE disasters," National Guard 1st Sgt. Fausto Crespo stated in the release on Wednesday.
The release described the Arctic Eagle exercise as a statewide drill that involved civilian residents in the town of Valdez playing the role of disaster victims.
Another scenario involved hazardous and possibly radioactive debris on a shipping vessel in the Port of Valdez, which required a response by the US Coast Guard Station Valdez to recover the debris while securing the boat, the release noted.
With an average of more than 300 inches of snow per year, the Valdez community provided optimal conditions to test the National Guard’s ability to respond to high-threat radiological scenarios, the release said.