Since its organization in 1855, the Washington Army National Guard has adapted to meet the needs of the time.

Comprised of more that 6,000 citizen soldiers who are dedicated to the mission of safeguarding lives, property and the state's economy, the Army Guard is headquartered at Camp Murray, adjacent to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

When ordered by the Governor, the WANG will mobilize and deploy during times of state emergency to augment local jurisdictions and responders in their efforts to protect lives and property.

The Guard is also subject to the call of the President to serve on active-duty whenever and wherever needed.

On both the state and national levels, the WANG is adapting to meet the times.

"On the West Coast, the Guard is changing and changing for the better," commented Lt. Col. Jon Beddall, commander, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

Stryker Transformation

Historically an armored force, the 81st will spend the next couple of years transforming into a Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

The brigade has recently begun receiving about 330 vehicles from the 25th Infantry Division stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

"It is an important and awesome change for the Guard," continued Beddall.

The 81st will begin receiving its Strykers this month, field the vehicles in February, and begin new equipment training - or NET - in April.

"It is a great learning opportunity for our soldiers and the units they serve in."

Beddall pointed out that the transformation to the Strykers plays to the strengths of the brigade.

"When it comes to maintenance and communications, the experience level within the brigade is very deep."

The acquisition of the Strykers will allow the Guard to better perform its domestic mission of safeguarding Washington residents while also maintaining combat readiness to serve the nation.

Operation Cascadia Rising

The Guard, which has the lead in responding to the state's natural disasters, recently partnered with local, state and federal agencies in an exercise to determine the state's ability to react if and when a mega-quake (9.0) occurs along the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) and triggers a killer tsunami.

The four-day exercise specifically tested how well the various agencies worked together to minimize loss of life and damage, while at the same time coordinating recovery and rescue efforts.

"We are certainly more aware of the effects of such an event," continued Beddall, who played a leading role in the exercise, "and that certainly is a plus."

Specifically, the Guard is one of the agencies getting out the message that individuals should have enough food, water and supplies on-hand to survive a power outage of two weeks.

On the other hand, the exercise underlined that communications- a vital component to rescue, recovery and aid efforts - needs more work.

"Without power, this will be a massive problem, and there is more work to be done here," said Beddall.

"That said, the Guard has more capability with dual purposes in order to serve better."