A U.S. Soldier with the 43rd Civil Support Team, South

A U.S. Soldier with the 43rd Civil Support Team, South Carolina Army National Guard, based at West Columbia, S.C., conducts a site survey during exercise Ardent Sentry at the Savannah River Site, S.C., May 20, 2013. The survey team checked for any signs of radiation present in a building at the Savannah River Site. Ardent Sentry is a NORAD and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM)-directed exercise focusing on defense support of civil authorities in response to simulated weather, security and disaster contingencies. While Ardent Sentry is primarily a command post exercise, several field training events were conducted at various locations within the USNORTHCOM area of responsibility. Ardent Sentry, conducted May 17-21, 2013, involved a scenario of a hurricane striking the South Carolina coast requiring more than 1,500 members of the South Carolina National Guard to practice disaster response activities and coordination procedures. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Caycee Watson/Released)