Doug Cherry, RES’ 10
I am leading Task Force-76 (TF76), built on the Army Reserve’s 76th Operational Response Command (ORC), headquartered at Ft. Douglas in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am both the Commanding General of the 76th ORC and TF76. The 76th ORC is a two-star HQs that has all of the Army Reserve’s MTOE Chemical Force Structure and 13 specialty organizations which includes:
- 37 CBRN Companies and 3 CBRN Detachments in 10 CBRN Battalions under 2 CBRN Brigades and a Regional Support Group
- The Nation’s only Consequence Management Unit
- The Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer (EPLO) Group
- 2nd Space Battalion
- 11 Army Reserve Elements (ARE) at the Combatant Commands and Defense Support Agencies.
The 76th ORC exists to prepare Army Reserve forces for what might be America’s worst day. We will do this by preparing TF76 to respond to CRE-A events within 96 hours and to meet other ARNORTH and NORTHCOM requirements, and by providing administrative support, training, readiness, and oversight to assigned units, elements, and detachments supporting other Combatant Commands, Army Service Component Commands, and Combat Support agencies. By doing this, the 76th will be ready and capable of being the Army Reserve’s single coordinator for DSCA response, while providing Army Reserve staff for worldwide contingencies.
Here are some key points regarding the current COVID-19 mission:
- TF76 stood up the TORCH Party and EECP at our HQs location on 11 MAR.
- TF76 was activated on 16 MAR and subsequently designated TF-West.
- TF-West was assigned FEMA Regions VIII, IX, and X which included the 12 western states (less HI and AK).
- TF-West provides C2 for all Title X forces employed in its JOA under the JFLCC.
- TF-West dispatched the Mission Command Group (essentially a TAC) to Seattle on Tuesday 24 MAR and I remained there with the TAC until 11 APR.
- The TAC performed PDSSs with USACE to determine possible locations for Title X medical assets in western WA and established a Base Support Installation (BSI) at JBLM.
- TF-West assumed TACOM of the Dual Status Commander in Washington state, all three Defense Coordinating Elements, as well as the 62nd Medical Brigade, 627th Hospital Center and 47th CSH.
In support of FEMA and the state of Washington, the TF converted an events center in downtown Seattle to a world class field hospital. Thanks to the hard work and discipline of the people of Washington state, the local hospitals never went over capacity – though three of the largest hospitals all exceeded 95%, with one reaching 98% of capacity – and therefore the Title X hospital was not needed. The Title X hospital is now partly staged at Ft Carson, Colorado on a 48-hour PTDO and partly supporting operations in Guam. TF-West provided planning expertise in Region VIII, particularly for the front range of Colorado. TF-West is providing planning expertise across Regions VI, VIII, and IX to the Navajo Nation that is expected to reach their peak in mid-May. TF-West remains poised to respond to other DSCA events in the Nation as we enter both fire and hurricane season.
BG Doug Cherry
Resident Class of 2010, Seminar 19
Commanding General
TF-West/TF-76/76th Div (Operational Response)
