Navy conducts annual anti-terrorism force protection exercise

Feb. 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has wrapped up an annual 12-day anti-terrorism force protection exercise held across the continental United States using realistic training scenarios.

Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 2019, which ended Friday, was designed to ensure Navy security forces "maintain a high level of readiness to respond to changing and dynamic threats," according to a Navy news release.

Besides testing installations' readiness, the exercise also ensured seamless interoperability among Navy commands, other services and agency partners.

"We have to train like we fight," said Capt. Michael Wathen, the Naval Support Activity Mid-South's commander. "It's important for our security forces to have this opportunity to run through the drills and exercise their skills in a realistic scenario."

The Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas, put its training to use in a real-life situation at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

A driver suspected of an earlier gas-station carjacking crashed into a barrier with a stolen vehicle. Navy security forces personnel opened fire after he charged at them. Daniel E. King, 37, received medical treatment, but he was later pronounced dead and there was no danger to base personnel, employees or the local community, KIII-TV reported.

"We train as a team with local authorities to rapidly identify and respond to existing and emerging threats to our Navy installations, units, Sailors, our civilian shipmates and families," said Adm. Christopher Grady, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

In Maryland, NSA Annapolis conducted an active shooter and mass casualty exercise on base Feb. 6 with Anne Arundel County, the city of Annapolis, Anne Arundel Medical Center and Baltimore Washington Medical Center.

Volunteers portrayed active shooters and more than 40 additional others played wounded victims who were transported to the medical centers.

"As a community hospital, we are extremely grateful to the Navy for allowing us to expand and improve upon our policies and procedures in order to provide stabilization and care for potential victims of mass casualty events," said Patty Sherman, Anne Arundel Medical Center emergency manager.

For more than 10 years, she said, the medical center has participated in the exercise, which "has grown to be a very large exercise event within our community."