Exercise Vigilant Shield ’08 Fact Sheet

Exercise VIGILANT SHIELD 2008 is a large-scale homeland defense and civil authority support exercise sponsored by NORAD and USNORTHCOM that will test response to national crises. It will involve multiple government agencies and organizations responding to simulated detonations of radiological devices. The exercise aims to improve multi-agency coordination, assess military support to civil authorities, and evaluate plans and operations for defending North America from threats. Major events will occur in Oregon, Arizona, and Guam with the goal of preparing participants to effectively prevent and respond to emergencies.