WILDCARD

The State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS) National Tactical Interoperable Communications (TIC) Exercise was held on 4 November 2023. Dubbed WILDCARD23, exercise instruction and play took place in Dayton, Ohio at the SGAUS National Conference. Other sites throughout the United States will also be in play, as will Auxiliary Communications (AUXCOMM) stations concentrated in Ohio.

Synopsis

The exercise was focused on providing Operational Communications in the face of compromised infrastructure. Internet and Public Switched Telephone Network exhibited erratic behavior. Radio repeaters linked by common carrier were likewise unreliable. How could emergency responders, doctors, and specialists help people in trouble?

Using the "crawl, walk, run" model for training (as specified in U.S. Army Field Manual 7-0), the event had three major phases:

1. Crawl: Classroom (1200-1350Z)
   In a classroom environment, we presented the Mission Essential Task List (METL), consisting of nine communication tasks.

2. Walk: Lane Training (1400-1550Z)
   Operating from various positions including Command Post workstation or on-foot as appropriate for each task, participants performed each of the METL tasks with supervision and assistance from observer-controllers.

3. Run: COMEX (1600-1830Z)
   We began this phase with a situation report, providing several key details for the exercise scenario. Teams were organized and assignments made as additional information was injected for exercise play.

Documentation

We have available here:

• Call for Participation

• Briefing 1 (Video)

• Briefing 3 (Video)

• Exercise Plan

• After-Action Report/Improvement Plan (For Ohio; others should analyze their own performance)