West Tennessee MRC Joins Statewide Disaster Response Exercise 

The West Tennessee Medical Reserve Corps (West TN MRC) participated in Vigilant Guard 2025, a large-scale disaster response exercise held across Tennessee, May 12–18, 2025.

The exercise, co-sponsored by U.S. Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau, brought together more than 30 agencies, including the Tennessee Military Department, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, and several out-of-state National Guard units to activate and employ their response plans to improve mission command, relationships, and interoperability among federal, state, and local agencies.

West TN MRC volunteers participated in critical operations including hospital evacuations, search and rescue efforts, and emergency response coordination in the event of a simulated 7.5 magnitude earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone near Tipton County.

"This kind of training is essential," said Maj. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee's Adjutant General. "The more we train together, the stronger our partnerships and procedures become."

The participation of the West TN MRC highlighted the vital role of volunteer medical professionals in statewide disaster preparedness and strengthened their ability to respond when real crises strike.