Oahu ICS College Story and photos courtesy Lt. Cmdr. Angi Galletes This past June, over 40 reservists gathered on the island of Oahu to participate in an Incident Command System (ICS) exercise, the final phase of the Hawaiian Islands’ first ICS College: a training initiative entirely planned by reservists, for reservists! Oahu is home to Sector Honolulu, Base Honolulu, District Fourteen (D14) and INDOPACOM SELRES members. Reservists drilling on Oahu encompass members residing on the island and those on outer islands who commute to Oahu for drills. Many SELRES reservists are born and raised on the islands and spend much of their careers in D14. A large portion of reservists are also police officers, firefighters, and emergency responders who bring their civilian training and expertise to the Coast Guard. More than 2,400 miles removed from the mainland, Oahu reservists continuously seek organic professional training opportunities to prepare and respond to natural and man-made disasters. Increasingly, local reservists have been called upon to respond to regional and national contingencies. In the past five years, D14 and subunit reservists mobilized for the Kilauea volcanic eruption (the most active volcano in the world), Hurricane Lane (which dumped over 60 inches of rain on Hawai’i Island within a 72-hour period), COVID vaccination distribution, the Joint Base Pearl Harbor water contamination crisis (which disrupted the lives of several hundred military families), and mainland operations such as Southwest Border and Operation Allies Welcome. Oahu Reserve Leadership initiated the planning of the ICS College in October 2022. From March to June 2023, planners delivered bite-sized ICS trainings during drill weekends by covering various concepts such as the National Incident Management System, the ICS qualification process, and best practices. This approach allowed reservists to focus on their primary training responsibilities while steadily progressing in their ICS qualifications. The 2023 Oahu ICS College was a comprehensive exercise that ran from the 3-4 of June. Units heavily relied upon the leadership of Chief Cynthia Carter, a Base Honolulu SELRES member with significant ICS experience from prior tours and mobilizations, and Lt. Danelle Hauther, a PACAREA IMAT SELRES member and qualified Incident Commander whose civilian profession was in County Emergency Management. Under their leadership, Sector Honolulu designed an exercise that met the demanding requirements of a functional ICS exercise that was also introductory for reservists with limited or no ICS experience. Active-Duty counterparts at Sector Honolulu Emergency Management Force Readiness also eagerly stepped in to support by sending Ensign George Mayette, a newly commissioned reserve officer, to numerous ICS and exercise planning courses. Next year, D14 reservists will have the capability to plan and evaluate exercises independently. Only a week before the exercise, D14 established an Incident Management Team (IMT) in anticipation of Typhoon Mawar’s approach to Guam, making unavailable all qualified reserve ICS coaches previously identified for the exercise. Demonstrating the readiness and adaptability of our component, Sector Honolulu Senior Reserve Officer (SRO), Cmdr. Maile Norman, stepped in and personally led the setup, preparation, and break down of the exercise. With the support of PAC IMAT coaches, the exercise surmounted to a resounding success despite real world disruptions. This opportunity kickstarted dozens of ICS qualification processes, facilitated hands-on experience and developed the skills and resiliency for an ever-present need for contingency preparedness and response. . Sector Honolulu reservists participate in an incident management system college in June 2023. Reservist at Oahu ICS College. 12 Reservist . . Issue 3 • 2023 Issue 3 • 2023 Celebrating Celebrating 70 70 years of the Reservist years of the Reservist
