State attack response team funded by feds

The Defense Department has agreed to fund a Nevada military team to deal with attacks by weapons of mass destruction.

Gov. Kenny Guinn said the decision shows a federal commitment to the safety of Nevadans and the state's millions of visitors.

Nevada's congressional delegation requested the team citing the potential danger to the Las Vegas Strip, home to 18 of the world's largest hotels and visited by nearly 30 million tourists a year.

"More specifically, Las Vegas is a highly visible symbol of American society and warrants the same counterterrorism and attack response efforts as other major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.," the letter states.

The letter was signed by Sens. John Ensign, R-Nev., and Harry Reid, D-Nev.; and Reps. Jim Gibbons; Jon Porter, R-Nev.; and Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

According to Adjutant General Giles Vanderhoof, each team consists of 22 full-time members of the Army and Air National Guard. They will receive more than 800 hours of training in addition to their military occupational skills training. The team is federally funded and trained but falls under the command of the governor.

The initiative is designed to support local and state authorities in the event of an incident involving weapons of mass destruction.

"They will be some of our most available, most skilled specialists in the Silver state," said Vanderhoof.

There are already 32 such teams. Nevada's is one of 12 scheduled to be added this year.

Contact Geoff Dornan at nevadaappeal@sbcglobal.net or 687-8750.