Simulation tests homeland defense efforts.

A homeland defense exercise to test U.S. Northern Command's ability to respond multiple, simultaneous contingencies demonstrated that the command is ready to handle military operations inside the United States, officials said.

The exercise, called Determined Promise '03, proved the need to build relationships between various responding agencies, as well as federal, state and local governments, said a NORTHCOM official.

In a press statement, Air Force Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, NORTHCOM commander, said he will "certify through the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to the secretary of defense, that Northern Command is ready for what we call full operational capability."

The week-long multi-agency exercise, held in Clark County, Nev., simulated a category-three hurricane in Florida, wildfires in the Northwest, a munitions-train derailment in Kentucky, a plague outbreak in Las Vegas, an air threat over Alaska and the interception of a shipment of biological weapons bound for a U.S. port.

More than 2,000 personnel took part in the exercise, including 1,500 from the Defense Department, said Lt. Gen. Ed Anderson, deputy commander of NORTHCOM. Organizations as diverse as the Defense Intelligence Agency, the American Red Cross, the American Association of Railroads, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the store of Nevada took part, said Anderson, at the sixth annual Space and Missile Defense conference in Huntsville, Ala. National Guard troops from Nevada, Rhode Island and Alabama, as well as 28 military units, also participated.

In addition, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) did a live-fly exercise to test its ability to handle airborne threats and interface with NORTHCOM.

Determined Promise '03 began on Aug. 18, when a simulated terrorist group released pneumonic plague along the Las Vegas strip. The outbreak rapidly escalated, leading Las Vegas officials to seek state and federal assistance. As the events unfolded around the country, the Department of Homeland Security called the Defense Department to assist Clark Country officials with the health emergency. NORTHCOM brought in its Joint Task Force Civil Support (JTF-CS), from Fort Monroe, Va. to deal with the bioterrorism incident.

The Nevada National Guard, FEMA Region IX, and JTF-CS all deployed personnel and equipment to assist Clark County. JTF-CS provided logistical support in areas such as medical, communications and mortuary affairs, according to NORTHCOM.

The biological attack led the governor of Nevada to impose a quarantine in the country. Enforcing the quarantine was left to state and local police. Under the Posse Comitatus act, federal troops are prohibited from handling law enforcement. More than 1,400 participants were dispatched to locations across the country to deal with the various situations.

NORTHCOM is in the process of doing an after-action report. According to spokesman Lt. Col. A.J. Johnson, the command has up to 60 days to complete it. The report then will be sent on to the Joint Forces (Command for review.