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Show GUARDSMEN PREPARE FOR CIVIL DEFENSE ROLE Officers and men of the Second Sec-ond Howitzer Battalion, 222nd Artillery of the Utah National Guard, located in key points of southern Utah, participated in a full scale simulated emergency status Saturday as a part of "Operation "Op-eration Fallout." Battery units of the battalion are located at St. George, Beaver, Fillmore and Richfield, with battalion bat-talion headquarters and headquarters head-quarters battery located in Cedar City. The state-wide simulated program pro-gram was a test of emergency readiness of the National Guard units and also a project of coordinated coor-dinated effort of the National Guard, Civil Defense organization organiza-tion and law enforcement agencies, agen-cies, according to Captain Rulan Woodbury, commander of Headquarters Head-quarters Battery in Cedar City. Beginning at 7 a. m. Saturday and continuing through 4 p. m. the unit became a part of an Intricate network of communications communica-tions and emergency preparations prepara-tions based on a supposed nuclear nu-clear attack on some of the ma-)or ma-)or industrial areas of the United States. Through the cooperation of law enforcement agencies a count of "fallout" was recorded In the area and a round-up of emergency emer-gency rations of basis commodities commodi-ties was undertaken. In addition to transportation potential of the entire southern Utah area was scrutinized and damages occurring on the major highway svstem were evaluated and detailed Information was complied on reconstruction needs and availability of those Items, Captain Woodbury stated. The National Guardsmen also became a part of a vast communications commu-nications network trroughout the day and, according to Captain Woodbury, "more messages were transmitted during the day by our guardsmen, than in any other time in the history of the unit in peacetime." ' Surveys were also conducted) by the combined forces to deter-1 mine the amount of gasoline available for emergency, the quantity of foods available and a determination of how those foods could best be utilized, plus a detailed compilation of available avail-able transportation facilities and its u.se on networks of the area.1 "The most favorable aspect ofi the days activities," Captain Woodbury stated, "was the excellent ex-cellent communications network that was set up and effectively proven to be satisfactory in most any type of disaster or emergency" MAP STRATEGY. Capt. Rulan Woodbury, commander of Headquarters National Guard Battery in Cedar City, left, goes over plans Saturday with his top non- corns during "Operation Fallout." Seated Seat-ed is MSgt Max Bonzo, and standing are MSgt. Marion Bratton, left and 1st Sgt. Clyde Nelson. |