National Level Exercise 208

1
National Level Exercise 2-08

• Lt Col Tim Fennell
• Mr. Ron Gingras
• Joint Staff, J-7/JETD

2
Overview

• Objectives
• Exercise Overview
• Exercise Scenario
• Issues
• Addressing Lessons Learned

3
NLE 2-08 Overarching Exercise Objectives

• NLE 2-08 will be conducted to achieve the
  following overarching exercise objectives
• Exercise continuity capabilities to include
  National Essential Functions (NEFs), conduct
  Federal Government Essential Functions, and
  manage the emergency from dispersed locations
• Exercise Hurricane Preparedness and Response
  capabilities
• Exercise Response to Terrorist Weapons of Mass
  Destruction (WMD) Threat / Attack Capabilities
  with integration of Defense Support of Civil
  Authorities (DSCA)

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NLE 2-08 Overview

• Exercise Execution Dates 1-8 May 08
• National Exercise Program Tier II Exercise
• Interagency required to participate only in
  Simulation Cell (located at JWFC)
• Major Linked Exercises Include ARDENT SENTRY,
  ULTIMATE CADUCEUS, EAGLE HORIZON, HURRICANE
  PREPARATION
• Venues Include PNW, NCR, Aerospace, Maritime,
  some Canadian play

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NLE 2-08 Scenario Summary

• As the east coast of the United States prepares
  for landfall of a Category 4 hurricane
  threatening FEMA Region III and the National
  Capital Region (NCR), a significant terrorist
  attack occurs in Washington State. Response
  coordination for this Pacific Northwest terrorist
  event includes specific Defense Support to Civil
  Authorities (DSCA) capabilities. On the east
  coast, the hurricanes imminent landfall,
  combined with a credible terrorist threat to the
  NCR, causes the Federal Government to invoke
  continuity plans and capabilities. Subsequent
  terrorist events occur in Washington State.
  Meanwhile, an accidental release of a chemical
  agent at the Umatilla, Oregon chemical storage
  facility causes a response of the Chemical
  Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP).
  Other venues include aerospace and maritime
  elements. Canada will also participate in
  coordinated scenario elements and exercise
  internal objectives.

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ISSUES

• Exercise CJCS (ExCJCS)
• Recommend VCJCS serve as ExCJCS
• Exercise SecDef unknown at this time (OSD/DCCM
  exercise planners requesting SecDef serve as
  Exercise SecDef)
• COOP
• Joint Staff will exercise C2 devolution from the
  NMCC to alternate NMCS nodes
• Evacuate/deploy/operate at alternate sites
  (including senior leaders)
• Assessment (National Continuity Program)
• TRANSCOM priority for moving CCMRF
• JSAP package to SECDEF to increase priority to
  1B1
• DRG/CSG participation unlikely
• Policy Meetings
• Limited level of play for states in NCR under
  FEMA Region III and X
• Region IV 100 scripted

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ISSUES

• Personnel Accountability
• DOD-wide full disaster personnel accountability
  reporting to be exercised in PNW and hurricane
  path
• Navy to evaluate new Disaster Muster Tool

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Addressing Previous Lessons Learned

• ALERTCON Changes (Decision authority/dissemination
  )
• Will test the system during COGCON changes
• Senior Leadership Participation
• Tier II NEP exercise only requires D/As to staff
  SIMCEL
• OSD/Joint Staff recommend high level
  participation for ExSecDef and ExCJCS
• CJCS Dec 07 message to JS directorates/COCOMS/Serv
  ices
• COOP period will have high level participation
  from most D/As
• Strategic Communication
• OSD developing input to be vetted and tested
  during exercise
• Developing queries for media use to stimulate SC
  organizations

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Addressing Previous Lessons Learned

• Exercise Media Participation (did not stress
  leadership enough)
• WNN (exercise reporting network managed by JWFC)
  will be fully engaged
• DHS VNN will not be used (no funding)
• Sourcing (time delays in JFCOMs sourcing of
  units)
• Will be stressed/tested as CCMRF deploys
• NLE Exercise Control
• Master Control Cell, Intelligence Control Cell,
  and SIMCEL all co-located at JWFC
• Reduced the amount of exercise portals by one

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National Level Exercise 2-08

• Lt Col Tim Fennell
• timothy.fennell_at_js.pentagon.mil
• 703-697-3752
• Joint Staff, J-7/JETD

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ROBUST CYBERSPACE EXERCISE PROGRAM

• CJCS MSG DTG 141831Z Nov 07
• A strong exercise program provides a key
  foundation for establishing DoD dominance in the
  critical warfighting domain
• Capture exercise shortfalls and capability
  limitations through the Joint Quarterly Readiness
  Report
• Report Cyber best practices and lessons learned
  to CDRUSSTRATCOM for consolidation
• Will include this mandate in the next Chairman's
  Joint Training Guidance (CJTG), published NLT 31
  Aug each year. The CJTG highlights SECDEF and
  CJCS priorities/high interest training items

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OSD Exercise Objectives

• Stress the National Response System
• Maximize Senior Leader participation
• Practice Strategic Communications as part of a
  terrorism scenario
• Continue to use and examine the DHS National
  Simulation Cell for Interagency participation in
  DOD exercises
• Exercise (deploy and employ) the CCMRF to the
  maximum extent possible
• Practice Crisis Management Activities
• Exercise OSD Continuity of Operations (COOP) HQ
  Plan

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Joint Staff Exercise Objectives
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DOD ExercisesPOSITIVE RESPONSE 08-2ARDENT
SENTRY 08ULTIMATE CADUCEUS 08ABLE WARRIOR
08DHS ExercisesEAGLE HORIZON 08HURRICANE PREP
08OTHERSERVICE RESPONSE FORCE EXERCISE 08
(Army Material Command)BLUE FLAG AFNORTH (ACC)
ARDENT SENTRY - CANADA (Canada Command)These
linked exercises will be referred to as National
Level Exercise 2-08 (NLE 2-08)
NLE 2-08 Linked Exercises
15
TOPOFF 4 POSITIVE RESPONSE 08-1AAR ITEMS FOR
GOSC
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Alert Conditions

• Issue ALERTCON changes
• Discussion DoD example is request from NORTHCOM
  to change DEFCON. Interagency examples include
  COGCON and HSAS (Homeland Security Advisory
  System). Repeat observation from other exercises
  and real world events.
• Recommendation Need review of all alert
  condition systems and how they interact taking
  into account
• Alert system synergy and linkage (standardized
  and rationalized)
• Decision support criteria
• Applicability to current global environment

16
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Senior Leadership Participation

• Issue Exercises need senior leaders (and senior
  leaders need exercises)
• Discussion
• Senior Leader Participation at higher levels was
  consistent throughout this exercise (a from
  several exercises ago).
• SES/GO/FO participants bring a higher level of
  knowledge direction view to DSCA operations,
  which often differs from that of the O7/ O6/ O5
  operators. Their views take into account many of
  the political considerations that need to be
  addressed when working with interagencies.
  Operators need this guidance.
• SES/GO/FOs need to participate it will change
  their expectations.
• Recommendation Senior Leadership participation
  needs
• Commitment
• Scheduled early in the planning process
• Needs OSD / Joint Staff senior leadership
  involvement to encourage (require ?) senior
  leadership at the 2 or 3 star level.

18
Strategic Comms Plan

• Issue Lack of coordinated federal Strategic
  Communication plan.
• Discussion COCOMs independently executed
  Strategic Communications in absence of an
  approved federal plan.
• Recommendation White House develop and
  promulgate written Strategic Planning guidance,
  establish and exercise interagency strategic
  communication team to address
• National themes, effects, and tasks
• International engagement strategy
• Processes and procedures

18
19
Exercise Media Participation
Issue Existing DoD Strategic Communication
plans and programs not fully exercised. Discussion
Exercise media did not press government
officials hard enough for a strategic message.
Recommendation Develop, via the NEP Executive
Steering Committee, a realistic, aggressive
exercise media capability that will deploy to
exercise venues and challenge officials at all
levels in realistic fashion (e.g. operate within
the CNN battle rhythm).
19
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Sourcing
Issue Time delays in JFCOMs sourcing of
units. Discussion The contingency planning
process takes too long to determine sourcing
options during a crisis. Recommendation Request
JFCOM evaluate Collaborative Force Analysis,
Sustainment and Transportation (CFAST) sourcing
of units in a crisis to ensure answers are
provided in hours versus the current deliberate
planning process which takes days.
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NLE Exercise Control/Common Operational Picture

• Issue Improved exercise control needed to
  manage NLEs scenario execution
• Discussion
• Lack of standardized communications equipment,
  especially secure communications, degraded the
  ability of central control groups (MCC, ICC) to
  conduct the exercise.
• Some exercise coordination events lacked DHS
  presence. This reduced the likelihood all Joint
  Exercise Control Groups (JECG) acting in a
  unified and synchronized effort during exercise
  execution.
• Recommendations
• Examples of communications equipment required at
  MCC and ICC include NIPRNET, SIPRNET, JTEN and
  STU/STE
• Executive agent Main JECG should lead all
  coordinating events and ensure all JECG
  organizations are present and engaged