Fort Bragg's 2nd Brigade practices evacuating Americans

Americans in the fictitious country of “Chatu”-- which for a few days was situated in the state of North Carolina-- were “rescued” in an evacuation exercise with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team from Fort Bragg. U.S. Consul General Phil Chicola, who is usually at the helm at U.S. Consulate General Vancouver, took part in the exercise playing the role of Ambassador of Chatu.

Consul General Chicola was chosen because he’s been involved in actual evacuations during his State Department career.

Canada underwent the largest-scale evacuation in the country’s history in July, 2006, when Lebanon was under fire. An estimated 50,000 Canadians were in Lebanon, some 30,000 registered with the Canadian embassy in Beirut.

For the exercise in North Carolina in June, more than 1,000 paratroopers, 70 airmen, State Department officials and people taking the roles of evacuees took part. Lessons learned from the exercise will help the Brigade refine its evacuation procedures.

An account of the exercise in The Fayette Observer.