Exercise helps crews plan for emergencies

Members of the 1438th Engineer Multi-Role Bridge Company held a training session at the Missouri River at the Ike Skelton Training Site on Tuesday.
Members of the 1438th Engineer Multi-Role Bridge Company held a training session at the Missouri River at the Ike Skelton Training Site on Tuesday.

Regular training helps agencies from the Mo. National Guard to local responders keep current with necessary emergency and disaster logistics, communications and cooperation. More than 4,600 citizens, soldiers and airmen participated in the 5-day Vigilant Guard exercise, which concluded Wednesday.

The exercise was designed to test the ability to respond to a major earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone in southeast Missouri.