The Premobilization Training Assistance Team (PTAT), an asset of the Washington Army National Guard (WAARNG), is working hard to ensure the safety of its citizen soldiers but also the safety of area residents.

The PTAT originated from a disparity; the National Guard was noticing a difference in the amount of training required for each of its unit to be fully prepared to mobilize. The program was originally created as a pilot at Camp Murray in 2007 and once it proved successful, it was expanded nationwide so that now, every state has its own PTAT, which is overseen by the National Guard Bureau.

"The WAARNG PTAT ensures that units conduct training to standard and within the guidance set by First Army and that the First Army requirements for premobilization are achieved. In other words, we give them a stamp of approval and validate the skills of each unit," explained Capt. Michael Doyle, the operations officer in charge of Washington's PTAT.

"This way we can ensure that deploying WAARNG units are trained to the same standard when they are downrange working with their active-duty counterparts," he continued.

The PTAT's secondary mission is to provide training to units during their regular drills, so regardless of any upcoming deployments.  

"Even with the decreased deployments, we will continually validate the units so that there is a level of preparedness and readiness. That is a shift of focus for us - from validating the units' readiness for deployment to maintaining the readiness on a yearly basis," said Doyle, who has served in the Washington National Guard for 11 years and has a background in training.

Furthermore, the PTAT is also utilized within the state to train civilian first responders and other government organizations that request their help, though those are prioritized after unit mobilization trainings.

Recently, the WAARNG PTAT, in conjunction with Central Pierce Fire and Rescue, conducted some Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) classes for tactical team members from Central Pierce Fire and Rescue, West Pierce Fire, Lakewood PD, Pierce County Sheriffs Office, Puyallup PD, Bonney Lake PD, WA State Patrol, Pierce County SWAT and Metro Pierce County SWAT, among others.

"This is what we want to expand on since this was one of the first TECC classes for first responders that we've done, so far as I'm aware," Doyle stated. "It enables them to offer primary care under duress so that a medic, who is not necessarily the first person through the door but is on the scene, can prevent injured individuals from rapidly deteriorating."

The core PTAT team, which Doyle oversees, is made up of just five fulltime staff members who all attend training themselves, on both the military and civilian side, in order to stay current on everything they teach. However, the breadth of experience across the Guard allows them to bring on other citizen soldiers on short-term orders so that they can engage in specific trainings. For instance, medical staff can be brought on to work with trainees on combat medical procedures and triage. Training lengths vary, for example, when helping a National Guard unit with a drill, it is 2-3 days, but a TECC iteration last a full week.

The Camp Murray-based PTAT will conduct between 7-10 trainings for 2014 and while there are only five scheduled for 2015 as of yet, Doyle expects that to climb closer to 10-15 trainings.

"Within the National Guard we can provide training assistance across every scope of military operations," Doyle stated. "With regard to first responders, we have the capability to provide shaped, focused training that meets their needs and requests."