Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego -- Personnel aboard the depot performed a Semper Durus Exercise mission to test the depots ability to respond to emergencies from Feb. 25 to 26.
The purpose of Semper Durus was to exercise emergency response plans, policies and procedures in response to an all-hazards incident. The exercise was specifically designed as active shooter or terrorist scenarios.
The Semper Durus Exercise is a Marine Corps Installations West sponsored command post exercise and field training exercise. The exercise was implemented by all MCI-West installations. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton also took part in the exercise, but no actual events occurred on Edson Range, an annex of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
“This regional security oriented command exercise is to assure that Marine installations are prepared to respond to any situation,” said Col. Christopher B. Nash, assistant chief of staff, Operations. “The exercise has been very successful. It forces our staff to problem solve so we don’t fail in a real life event.”
Units and staff sections aboard the base worked together to enforce protection measures, emergency response plans, policies, procedures, and command and control capabilities. There were three phases aboard the depot that took place during the exercise.
Phase one was focused on preparing. It began with the MCI-West communicating reports of threat to all participating installations. Marines then had to assess the intelligence, determine the risks to the mission and advise the commanding general.
Once the exercise moved into phase two, which was focused on the response, there was a Crisis Action Team assembled together to determine courses of action to lessen risks and respond to emergency events.
The depot was placed in force protection condition delta on the morning of Feb. 26, which altered the traffic patterns at the entry gates. Identity verification and vehicle searches included some of the changes as well as a shelter-in-place drill, which was exercised for thirty minutes, Feb. 25.
A release of simulated casualties is required. It was ensured that all reports began with the header “EXERCISE.EXERCISE.EXERCISE.”
“The emergency operation has improved and was a lot more successful than past operations,” said Maj. Paul M. Ghiozzi, operations officer, Operations. “(It was discussed) how all the agencies were a success.”
Phase three was used to recover; it included a brief to discuss the lessons learned from the events of the exercise. Afterward, the depot was cleaned up and returned to normal operations.
“I’m pleased with the work and elements the depot subordinate commands have put towards emergency response,” said 47-year-old Nash, a Hillsboro, Ore. native. “We’ll review the after action criteria and look into the areas we can improve and become more efficient.”