Operation GREY FLAG Debrief Session

1. Operation GREY FLAG Debrief Session Pacific Region Exercise #4 25 March – 3 April 2007

2. Agenda • Welcome, Acknowledgements & Setup • EXCON Team Intro • Review Exercise Timeline • Review Results Produced • Participating Wing Debriefs • Other Feedback • Q&A • Closing Comments Grey Flag Debrief Session

3. Welcome • Thanks for taking the time to participate • Just completed Pacific Region Exercise #4 • 25 Mar – 03 Apr 07 (inclusive) • Tonight is our opportunity to do a comprehensive review of the scenario and our (individual and collective) performance Grey Flag Debrief Session

4. Who’s on the phone? • Invited Guests • Pacific Region Staff • USAF Liaison (PLR) Staff • Participating Wing Staff • Other Agency Reps Grey Flag Debrief Session

5. Participating Wings Grey Flag Debrief Session

6. Acknowledgements • Col. Ernie Pearson (PCR CC) • Been an enthusiastic supporter of the activity • Col. Larry Myrick (PCR CV) • Without his vision and leadership, this idea would have never gotten off the ground • Col. Jim Denton • Special advisor to the EXCON team • Lt. Col. Mike Lewis • Key driver to “making the magic happen” since its inception Grey Flag Debrief Session

7. EXCON Team Intro Maj. Kenneth (“kengon”) Gonzalez EXCON Team Lead

8. CAP Lt. Col. Mike Lewis Maj. Ken Gonzalez Maj. Wayne Stuart Lt. Richard Bingham Lt. Steve Karl Lt. Tiffany Kolosick Lt. Tolga Tarhan Lt. Rick Woods USAF Col. Jim Denton Maj. Rod Gisi* Maj. Lincoln Keill PCR EXCON Team NOTE: While these are the key players that influenced the outcome, many others helped and volunteered their services. They know who they are and should consider themselves acknowledged for their respective contributions. Grey Flag Debrief Session

9. Objectives • Exercise the full range of CAP capabilities • Develop and evaluate Wing-to-Wing command, control, and communications (C3) capabilities • Begin the process of establishing evaluation criteria for Region and Wing performance • Both qualitative and quantitative measures Grey Flag Debrief Session

10. Design Guidelines • Provide realistic HLS and disaster relief scenarios as a driving force for a variety of CAP tasks. • Ensure that the tasks fall within the guidelines and constraints for CAP operations (like posse comitatus) • Ensure that tasks can be completed safely Grey Flag Debrief Session

11. What We Did • Constructed the Back Story • Wrote the Master Timeline (MSEL) • Created the Tasks & Informational Messages • Checked all the work for consistency • Created the technology support • Staffed the phones (EXCON, FAA, NOC, etc.) • Implemented the Plan • … and had a great time doing it! Grey Flag Debrief Session

12. Special Recognition • Lt. Tolga Tarhan • Provided logistics and technology support that made the exercise as easy as it was to execute • His company (PBNext) has been donating their services/support to my CAWG HLS team for the past year • Please join me in appreciating them for their ongoing support Grey Flag Debrief Session

13. Review Exercise Timeline Lt. Col. Mike Lewis Exercise Director

14. Scenario Overview • While docked in Azkhrackistan, a container ship is loaded with a number of containers filled with explosives and other items to support terrorist activities. • The container ship will dock at ports in Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, and California. • Azkhracki trained terrorist cells will rendezvous with the containers, and using rented trucks, transport the explosives to events throughout the Western U.S. Grey Flag Debrief Session

15. Scenario TimelinePre-exercise • The container ship Moribund departs Azkhrackistan • Moribund offloads in HI, AK • The CIA gathers intelligence that large quantities of materials used for making bombs has been going to Azkhrackistan. • Moribund offloads in WA, and Northern CA Grey Flag Debrief Session

16. Scenario TimelineDay 1, Sunday • The CIA learns about a drunk Azkhracki who was boasting about how he helped load a ship with bombs to hit the infidels and bring them to their knees. • NOTE: Starting on day 1 and continuing throughout the exercise period, background news articles will be provided to participating wings for dissemination to the membership. Grey Flag Debrief Session

17. Scenario TimelineDay 2, Monday • Moribund offloads in C. CA Grey Flag Debrief Session

18. Scenario TimelineDay 3, Tuesday • FBI begins to notice a higher level of activity among “groups of interest.” Grey Flag Debrief Session

19. Scenario TimelineDay 4, Wednesday • DHS, based on the CIA Intel from Azkhrackistan coupled with reports that the FBI has of an increase in activity among some of the “groups of interest,” raises the alert level to “Orange” while continuing to determine which (if any ship) is carrying explosives. Grey Flag Debrief Session

20. Scenario TimelineDay 4, Wednesday cont. • ALNOT issued for a missing (possibly stolen) A/C from N. CA. AFRCC requests ramp search of likely airports based on NTAP data. Grey Flag Debrief Session

21. Scenario TimelineDay 5, Thursday • CAP conducts ramp searches in WA, OR, CA, and NV • Intelligence suggests the containers being used are blue Hanjin containers. • FBI and local authorities investigate ports. Finds a number of inconsistencies with paperwork concerning Hanjin containers. Grey Flag Debrief Session

22. Scenario TimelineDay 6, Friday • FBI and other agencies search area in vicinity of ports but are unable to locate any of the suspicious containers. • FBI requests aerial route searches of routes leaving port cities looking for Hanjin containers to begin the following day. • Immediate radio report’s are requested for each container spotted. • The request for CAP assistance was accepted by the CAP National Operations Center Grey Flag Debrief Session

23. Scenario TimelineDay 7, Saturday • CAP starts the search for Hanjin containers. • The National Rodeo, a special event, is being held in Santa Maria, CA. Gov. Harry Tasker and other dignitaries are in attendance. • Major explosion during rodeo. Initial reports indicate a gas main leak/explosion. • Hundreds killed, over 1000 injured. Local authorities request state assistance. • OES requests CAP to transport blood from VNY to SMX. Grey Flag Debrief Session

24. Scenario TimelineDay 7 continued • Due to the amount of rubble, OES requests search dogs be brought in to assist in looking for survivors. • CAP transports dogs from CA, NV, and AZ. • OES requests Federal assistance. Grey Flag Debrief Session

25. Scenario TimelineDay 7 continued • FBI discovers remnants of a U-Haul truck identified as the bomb vehicle. Remnants of packing materials and documents consistent with Hanjin Shipping Company was discovered. Grey Flag Debrief Session

26. Scenario TimelineDay 8, Sunday • President declares Santa Maria a Federal Disaster Area. • DHS raises threat level to “Red.” • Public is informed CA explosion was a terrorist event. • FBI requests CAP modify search to look at rest stops for UHaul/Hanjin. • CAP also asked to take aerial photos of rest stops to identify possible meeting locations. Grey Flag Debrief Session

27. Scenario TimelineDay 8 continued • After terrorism announcement, people in and around Santa Maria try to flee the area causing massive traffic jams. California’s OES requests SDIS equipped A/C to augment CHP in monitoring ingress/egress routes to the affected area. Grey Flag Debrief Session

28. Scenario TimelineDay 9, Monday • FBI discovers one cell in WA. While they do not know about other cells, they discover evidence that the transfer of material to the U-Haul's may be taking place under cover of trees. • FBI tasks ARCHER system to cover likely areas to try to pick out target through trees. Grey Flag Debrief Session

29. Scenario TimelineDay 10, Tuesday • Photos delivered to FBI. • Exercise Ends. Grey Flag Debrief Session

30. Review Results Produced Lt. Tolga Tarhan & Lt. Rick Woods Exercise Controllers

31. What Worked • Aircrews and Ground Teams can readily deploy and get the task done without much supervision • Hasn’t been an issue, historically speaking • ORWG/CAWG both had to pull resources to enable “real world” response • Most participants demonstrated a good sense of humor, even under pressure Kudo! Kudo! Grey Flag Debrief Session

32. What Worked • Great deal of initiative demonstrated • WAWG established a mailing list for exercise traffic • AKWG started taking photos on the routes without having to be asked • Several examples of Wings working to “churn out results” until they were done • AKWG, ORWG Kudo! Kudo! Kudo! Grey Flag Debrief Session

33. What Didn’t Work • Lack of Customer Service Orientation • One dog team handler spent over 16-hours awaiting a response (on standby) • No one offered a Liaison Officer • No follow up questions to ensure tasks were understood • Little communications with the “Customer” to ensure their needs were being met • Need to treat EXCON like a real customer! • Multiple instances of failed transitions between key incident staff members Grey Flag Debrief Session

34. What Didn’t Work • Fight like you train, train like you fight” • Have to take the exercise seriously • Asking the question “if this were a real mission, what would I do?” and then taking an appropriate action • Issues with tasking resources for Night and IFR conditions • Need to check e-mail frequently during these types of operations • Caused some lags in response Grey Flag Debrief Session

35. What Didn’t Work • EXPLAN Review • If we start out with a bad phone/e-mail list, it just gets worse • EXPLAN forms the agreement between EXCON and the participants • Not written in stone! Most issues can be prevented or negotiated out • Only EXCON has authority to alter the timeline or participation • Self-induced changes are unacceptable • Relates back to the “train like you fight” comment • Ask the question: “Do I have enough resources to do it properly?” Grey Flag Debrief Session

36. MIO Operations • Not a discrete task per se • Was completely intentional to see what would get done • No unauthorized releases of PCR Exercise Confidential Material • Great job of coordination by the MIOs into their own informal pool/JIC • Tom Traver’s efforts in getting us real media coverage • Yielded national-level results/awareness Kudo! Kudo! Grey Flag Debrief Session

37. State Agency Contact • Same Night • WAWG, ORWG • Next Day • HIWG • Three Days Later • NVWG • Unaccounted For • AKWG, CAWG* Grey Flag Debrief Session

38. Alert Level Upgrades • Yellow to Orange Kudo! Grey Flag Debrief Session

39. Alert Level Upgrades • Orange to Red Grey Flag Debrief Session

40. Resource Reports • Asked for list of resources and their status from each participating Wing Grey Flag Debrief Session

41. Missing A/C ALNOT • Generally, the operation was handled well by the Wings. Not all sites were completed • Some Wings showed great initiative • Using FBOs & other parties for ramp checks • Doing good intel work to help gain clues • Several Wings • Provided no progress updates during the search • Provided no reports on results of the search • Only reported person-hours invested • WAWG provided a 122 w/in an hour of closing Kudo! Kudo! Grey Flag Debrief Session

42. Route Search • No consistency in reporting what was getting done while it was getting done • Allowing for customer input and altering plans • Actual Sightings Grey Flag Debrief Session

43. Blood/Dog Transport • 1 of 3 completed within timing requested Poor communication/expectation setting with the receiving party • Aircrews • Did not “bust” the TFR in SMX • Did appropriate W&B calculations Kudo! Grey Flag Debrief Session

44. Photo Recon • In general, photo quality was good • Anything delivered that night was counted as being delivered “on time” Grey Flag Debrief Session

45. Example of the Day Grey Flag Debrief Session

46. Grey Flag Debrief Session

47. Participating Wing Debriefs Various Wing Representatives

48. Alaska Wing • What went well? • What didn't go so well? • What was missing or missed? • What would you do differently? • How could the exercise be better? Grey Flag Debrief Session

49. Hawaii Wing • What went well? • What didn't go so well? • What was missing or missed? • What would you do differently? • How could the exercise be better? Grey Flag Debrief Session

50. Washington Wing • What went well? • What didn't go so well? • What was missing or missed? • What would you do differently? • How could the exercise be better? Grey Flag Debrief Session