Maryland National Guard soldiers and airmen work together

Maryland National Guard soldiers and airmen work together to hone their urban search and rescue techniques at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy in Montgomery Village, Maryland, on May 8, 2018. Their joint training efforts showcased the Maryland Guard's search and rescue capabilities during the statewide Vigilant Guard 2018 disaster relief exercise.
Vigilant Guard is an exercise that allows the Maryland Military Department, along with 42 federal, state, and local agencies a chance to collaborate and test interoperability as part of a national level exercise. The agencies are evaluated on preparing for and recovering from a catastrophic hurricane making landfall. Nearly 2,000 service members, from with in the FEMA Region III area, are participating in the Vigilant Guard exercises in Maryland and Virginia. International partners are present observing the exercise to take home lessons learned. The national level exercise is sponsored by the United States Northern Command in conjunction with National Guard Bureau. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo by Sgt. Devon Bistarkey)