The Delaware National Guard will conduct a joint training exercise called Operation Cyclone this Saturday with its ground and air teams.
The exercise is meant to prepare guard members in the event of a huge tornado hitting the First State. In the training scenario, the tornado has destroyed homes and a school, and caused a massive amount of injuries and fatalities. First responders are overwhelmed.
Army Blackhawks will evacuate the hypothetical wounded, in this case, mannequins, to the Air National Guard Base. Nurses and doctors will practice treating patients on board an aircraft.
"The National Guard is a unique military organization because we’re the only ones that have a mission to support the citizens of the state," said spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Len Gratteri. He said that Delaware experiences emergency conditions that require National Guard support at least once a year.
"We do similar things probably, unfortunately, once a year at least. We have a Nor'easter, or a hurricane, or floods or snowstorms. A big part of our mission is, to do the things that we are going to be doing here," he added.
