The National Guard is the US military’s reserve force, offering manpower, equipment, and expertise for missions abroad but also providing America’s first line of defence at home.

When there’s a natural disaster or a threat to public safety that law enforcement alone can’t handle, the Guard kicks into action. It is constantly preparing itself for new and emerging threats, be they nuclear, chemical, biological, or a natural disaster.

We recently watched the New Jersey National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry participate in a drill to practice how they would respond to a possible nuclear or chemical emergency without warning and with no immediate explanation of what was happening. The snap exercise aimed to duplicate the conditions of an actual unfolding threat and showed how the Guard keeps itself prepared for even a worst-case scenario.

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