The events of September 11, 2001, tragically underscored the need for a coordinated, well-trained, joint military-civilian response to a terrorist attack. State and local governments alone
 cannot defend against this sophisticated international threat. A regional joint military and civilian effort is required to provide an umbrella of protection across the Northeast, encompassing even our smallest communities. A Regional Homeland Defense/Homeland Security Center will provide the training necessary to respond to the full spectrum of terrorist threats. The Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) is the proposed location of the Northeast Regional Center for Homeland Defense/Homeland Security Training. It will bring together military, academic, and private-sector homeland security experts. The MMR is already a multi-use facility, home to Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, Otis Air National Guard Base, Camp Edwards Army National Guard Training Site, Cape Cod Air Force Station, and various government agency facilities. Its central location is accessible from major population centers in the Northeast.  A Regional Center for Homeland Defense/Homeland Security Training at the MMR will enhance the abilities of military personnel to respond to terrorist actions in the northeastern United States. The Center will bring together academic, private sector, and governmental expertise in order to provide continuous access to new technologies and operational strategies. It will enhance traditional military training and the homeland defense/security capabilities of military and civilian first responders. Building on Existing Infrastructure The Northeast Regional Ce  nter for Homeland Defense/Homeland Security Training will build on the MMR's existing infrastructure and ongoing homeland security missions. The MMR is already an important multi-military resource for homeland security response.The Army National Guard at Camp Edwards on the MMR trains for traditional military missions and homeland defense/security. It was this training that enabled the Army National Guard to provide security at regional and national airports, including Logan, and Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant. The Air National Guard at Otis Air National Guard Base on the MMR provides primary air defense for the East Coast between the Canadian border and Washington D.C. They are respons  ible for more than 500,000 square miles and 90 million people along the Northeast Corridor. They were first on the scene in New York on September 11, 2001, and they continue to provide support for Operation Noble Eagle. The U.S. Coast Guard at the MMR is one of the largest port security and marine patrol bases in the United States and is a key component in the Department of Homeland Defense/Homeland Security. The Coast Guard provides regional port security, harbor patrol, law enforcement and maritime safety.
|
||||||||||||||
