The National Guard Bureau has selected Ohio and Washington to host the first of the homeland response force (HRF) units DOD intends to field nation-wide. These two HRFs will be established no later than the end of Fiscal 2011. HRFs will provide a self-deployable capability to respond domestically to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield-explosive incidents. DOD plans to have one HRF unit in each of FEMA’s 10 regions. Each HRF will have approximately 570 Air Force and Army National Guard personnel who are CBRNE specialists, security forces, or experts in command and control functions. The Ohio and Washington HRFs will evolve out of those states’ existing CBRNE enhanced response force packages (CERPFs). The NGB said it is currently determining the locations for the remaining eight HRFs. (DOD release) (HRF fact sheet) (CERPF fact sheet)
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
