BRACING FOR THE WORST; DISASTER BOSS ONCE TESTED UNDER FIRE.

Byline: David Greenberg Daily News Staff Writer

A military-trained presence will be seen and felt at future natural disasters that strike Ventura County.

Ted McCaleb, a retired combat veteran with 21 years of U.S. Army service, has been appointed director of disaster services for the county chapter of the American Red Cross.

In the tradition of the agency, he will oversee a preparedness and relief operation that is long on volunteers and short on funding.

But adverse conditions have been a way of life for the 59-year-old McCaleb.

``(The Army) was a huge stress operation,'' he said. ``I know I can handle the stress. I can hang in there.''

By the time McCaleb retired from the Army 15 years ago, he was a major with two tours of Vietnam under his belt. From 1966-67, he served as an infantry officer, advising the commander of 500 South Vietnamese soldiers.

``We were in combat the whole time,'' McCaleb said. ``We'd seek out the enemy - go out in the jungle and find them and try and engage them in combat.''

The military called them ``search and destroy missions.''

From 1970-71, McCaleb fought ground operations with an American infantry unit. For his efforts, he was awarded two Bronze Stars for sustained combat operations, an Air Medal for his part in helicopter assaults, the Cross of Gallantry for joint American-Vietnam combat operations and several commendations for outstanding service.

Life was calmer during McCaleb's follow-up assignments as a supplies and logistics officer in Europe and South Korea.

By the time he retired in the early 1980s, he was happy and ready for civilian life.

After some time in the business world, McCaleb spent three years as disaster services manager for the Commission on Human Concerns, a state-charter organization designed to oversee community outreach for the low-income and homeless people of Ventura County.

Using a three-year $597,000 grant, the organization repaired 50 low-income housing units in Fillmore and Piru following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.

With the help of four volunteers, the commission also installed independently powered radio communication systems in the county's eight major hospitals, which can be used to simultaneously communicate with the county Sheriff's Department in the event of another natural disaster.

McCaleb's opportunity to join the Red Cross emerged last year when Rick Rink resigned after more than three years of service. McCaleb was one of 30 qualified applicants in a nationwide search, eventually hired because of his experience and knowledge of the county, according to Ann Sobel, the chapter's executive director.

``His adaptation to the American Red Cross is going to go much faster because of that,'' she said.

A major portion of McCaleb's job involves coordinating a large army of volunteers to assist victims of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, explosions or flooding.

He has about 100 volunteers trained in first aid, damage assessment and crisis counseling.

An additional 200 untrained volunteers are ready to provide transportation services, prepare and serve food and share the clerical work.

``Whenever there's a disaster you get a lot of people coming in,'' McCaleb said. ``They want to help.''

The chapter will hold training sessions from 8 a.m. to noon Feb. 7 at its east county office, 1919 Williams St., No. 200, in Simi Valley and from 6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 18 at the main office, 2355 Portola Road in Ventura.

For more information, call [phone].

McCaleb said he hopes his tenure will last until he is ready to retire.

``To me, this is an exciting job,'' he said. ``I have the opportunity to work with some great people. I'm on the leading edge of events. When something happens, I can be involved.''

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PHOTO (Color) (Color in Conejo Edition only) Ted McCaleb is the new disaster services coordinator for the Ventura County branch of the American Red Cross.

Evan Yee/Daily News