By Erica Bodker, Joint Force Headquarters – West Virginia National Guard

Meeting the War Department’s priority of securing the homeland, a unique team from the West Virginia National Guard (WVNG) has stood up to protect a critical piece of national security that most never think about.

“There is no other team in the United States doing exactly what we do,” said U.S. Army Maj. William Pauley, assistant program manager for the Civilian Defense Critical Infrastructure Support Team (CDCI-ST), operating under the WVNG Army Interagency Training and Education Center (AITEC).

The CDCI-ST, works with alongside civilian utility providers and critical infrastructure partners to identify vulnerabilities, reduce risk, and strengthen the systems that support DoW missions across the nation.

Made up of around 16 full-time personnel, with additional augmentees supporting surge operations as needed, the team operates in a unique space between military installations and the civilian infrastructure that help secure, make more resilient and advice them, Pauley said.

“Our primary role is supporting assessments and risk reduction efforts for civilian infrastructure that supports Department of War missions, at the direction of the Defense Critical Infrastructure Mission Assurance (DCI-MA) Directorate, within the Office of the Undersecretary of War for Policy (OUSW(P).” said Pauley.

Outside military installation boundaries. This can include electrical power, electric, water and sewer systems, communications networks, and internet service providers.

While military organizations assess infrastructure located on installations, CDCI-ST examines the civilian systems that support those installations from beyond the fence line.

“We’re not there to tell companies what they have to do,” Pauley said. “We’re there as a resource. We help identify risks, provide recommendations and work alongside them to find solutions that benefit both the utility provider and the Department of War.”

One of the team’s most effective tools is tabletop exercises that bring military and civilian partners together to work through potential scenarios to identify gaps, problem solve, and develop strategy, among other areas of collaboration.

“The tabletop exercises are incredibly powerful,” Pauley said. “They bring everyone together around a common objective and create an environment where partners can work to strengthen resilience and reduce risk.”

The CDCI-ST team also helps utility providers connect with federal grant opportunities to support infrastructure improvements, benefiting both the providers and the DoW.

For Pauley, the most rewarding part of the mission is connecting civilian partners to their place within the national defense structure.

“When they realize the role they play and become part of the solution, that’s where the real value comes from,” he said.

By building partnerships and improving infrastructure resilience, CDCI-ST is helping ensure critical systems remain ready to support military missions across the country.