The Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST) is an interagency task force of the United States government, tasked with on-call short-notice responses to terrorist incidents across the world. It consists of personnel from military, intelligence, and diplomatic agencies, as well as other departments when required.
The FEST was created in 1986, and has long since largely remained shrouded in mystery. Since then it has deployed over thirty times to critical situations around the world. The team maintains the capability to deploy within hours to advise and assist the U.S. Chief of Mission coordinating U.S. government crisis response activities and to augment embassy operations.[1]
The Diplomatic Security Service leads the FEST, and it includes representatives from the U.S. Department of State, Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other appropriate agencies, such as the Department of Energy, as circumstances warrant. FEST composition is flexible and tailored to the specific incident and U.S. embassy needs. The FEST provides specialized crisis response expertise to augment existing U.S. Mission and host government capabilities.[2][3][4] In addition to terrorism, the unit specializes in responding to Weapons of Mass Destruction and CBRNE events.[5]
FEST is the counterpart of the Domestic Emergency Support Team (DEST) which serves a similar role for crises within the United States.
A FEST was deployed to Aden, Yemen following a terrorist attack against the USS Cole, which killed 17 American sailors in October 2000. The FEST advised the US ambassador and helped her direct America's response to the attack. The team relied heavily on FEST's secure mobile communications capability, since the Port of Aden is more than 200 miles from the American Embassy in Sanaa.
On August 7, 2020, the FEST deployed from Andrews Air Force Base to Beirut, Lebanon, to lend support to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut as part of the U.S. government’s response following what was later discovered to be an ammonium nitrate fire which caused one of the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions in human history in the city's port.[6] The blast on August 4 had ripped through the port of Beirut, causing extensive injuries and damage throughout the surrounding area. Shortly after the blast, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut requested support from the DSS-led FEST to help coordinate interagency support for emergency response, restoration of essential services, and public health and safety protection.[7]
Trainingedit
Members of the FEST at the U.S. Embassy, Doha, Qatar
Invincible Sentry 21edit
In March 2021, members of the FEST participated in a five-day military crisis response exercise between Qatari and U.S. military forces in Doha, Qatar. Exercise Invincible Sentry 2021 (IS 21) is an annual U.S. Central Command training event, hosted this year by the government of Qatar. IS 21 included close coordination and training with the Qatar’s Ministry of Defense, the U.S. Embassy Doha, and other U.S. government entities.[7]
The team has been spotted flying into Iraq,[8] throughout central Europe, and several times in Amman, Jordan.[9] Team constituent agencies organize a FEST to conduct training with partner nations often.[1]
Smaller, "tailored" FESTs have responded to abductions of Americans in Ecuador and the Philippines.
Compositionedit
Organizations and units which commonly comprise the FEST:
^"Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST)". US Department of State. Retrieved on May 8, 2013
^State Department OIG (May 2020). "State Department Office of Inspector General Inspection of the Bureau of Counterterrorism" (PDF). U.S. Department of State.
^"Tactical Programs, PHE". www.phe.gov. March 17, 2017. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
^"00-9001 | Boeing C-32B | United States - US Air Force (USAF) | Simon Reichert". JetPhotos. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
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The Foreign Emergency Support Team FEST is an interagency task force of the United States government tasked with on call short notice responses to terrorist incidents across the world It consists of personnel from military intelligence and diplomatic agencies as well as other departments when required Foreign Emergency Support TeamAgency overviewFormed1986 1986 TypeInteragency Task ForceHeadquartersHarry S Truman Building Washington D C Parent departmentU S Department of StateParent agencyBureau of Diplomatic SecurityWebsitehttps www state gov foreign emergency support team Contents 1 History 2 Activity 2 1 U S Embassy Bombings 2 2 Beirut Port Explosion 2 3 Training 2 3 1 Invincible Sentry 21 2 4 Contingency teams 2 5 Smaller deployments 3 Composition 4 Equipment 4 1 Boeing C 32B 5 See also 6 ReferencesHistory editThe FEST was created in 1986 and has long since largely remained shrouded in mystery Since then it has deployed over thirty times to critical situations around the world The team maintains the capability to deploy within hours to advise and assist the U S Chief of Mission coordinating U S government crisis response activities and to augment embassy operations 1 The Diplomatic Security Service leads the FEST and it includes representatives from the U S Department of State Department of Defense the Intelligence Community and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other appropriate agencies such as the Department of Energy as circumstances warrant FEST composition is flexible and tailored to the specific incident and U S embassy needs The FEST provides specialized crisis response expertise to augment existing U S Mission and host government capabilities 2 3 4 In addition to terrorism the unit specializes in responding to Weapons of Mass Destruction and CBRNE events 5 FEST is the counterpart of the Domestic Emergency Support Team DEST which serves a similar role for crises within the United States Activity editU S Embassy Bombings edit Main article 1998 United States embassy bombings The FEST was particularly active when operatives of Osama bin Laden s al Qaeda network bombed U S embassies in Kenya and Tanzania USS Cole bombing Main article USS Cole bombing A FEST was deployed to Aden Yemen following a terrorist attack against the USS Cole which killed 17 American sailors in October 2000 The FEST advised the US ambassador and helped her direct America s response to the attack The team relied heavily on FEST s secure mobile communications capability since the Port of Aden is more than 200 miles from the American Embassy in Sanaa Beirut Port Explosion edit Main article 2020 Beirut explosion nbsp Members of the FEST board a C 32B at Andrews Air Force Base en route to Lebanon following the Beirut explosion On August 7 2020 the FEST deployed from Andrews Air Force Base to Beirut Lebanon to lend support to the U S Embassy in Beirut as part of the U S government s response following what was later discovered to be an ammonium nitrate fire which caused one of the largest artificial non nuclear explosions in human history in the city s port 6 The blast on August 4 had ripped through the port of Beirut causing extensive injuries and damage throughout the surrounding area Shortly after the blast the U S Embassy in Beirut requested support from the DSS led FEST to help coordinate interagency support for emergency response restoration of essential services and public health and safety protection 7 Training edit nbsp Members of the FEST at the U S Embassy Doha Qatar Invincible Sentry 21 edit In March 2021 members of the FEST participated in a five day military crisis response exercise between Qatari and U S military forces in Doha Qatar Exercise Invincible Sentry 2021 IS 21 is an annual U S Central Command training event hosted this year by the government of Qatar IS 21 included close coordination and training with the Qatar s Ministry of Defense the U S Embassy Doha and other U S government entities 7 Contingency teams edit Contingency FESTs were deployed to ensure safety at the Olympic Games in Athens Greece Summer 2004 and Turin Italy Winter 2006 and in Lagos Nigeria during a hostage taking crisis Smaller deployments edit The team has been spotted flying into Iraq 8 throughout central Europe and several times in Amman Jordan 9 Team constituent agencies organize a FEST to conduct training with partner nations often 1 Smaller tailored FESTs have responded to abductions of Americans in Ecuador and the Philippines Composition editOrganizations and units which commonly comprise the FEST Department of State Diplomatic Security lead bureau 10 Bureau of Public Affairs 10 Bureau of Consular Affairs 10 Bureau of International Security and Non Proliferation 10 Bureau of Operational Medicine 10 Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism 10 Department of Defense 10 Army Reserve Counter Terrorism Unit Other military units as appropriate Federal Bureau of Investigation 10 Department of Health and Human Services 10 Department of Energy 10 United States Agency for International Development 10 Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs 10 U S Intelligence Community 10 Other federal agencies as appropriate 10 Equipment edit nbsp Boeing C 32B of the 486th Flight Test Squadron in Canberra Australia in 2008 Boeing C 32B edit The FEST is a primary user of the specialized Boeing C 32B transport aircraft shared with the CIA and operated by the New Jersey Air National Guard s 150th Special Operations Squadron and Air Force Special Operations Command s 486th Flight Test Squadron See also editDomestic Emergency Support Team Nuclear Emergency Support Team Diplomatic Security ServiceReferences edit a b Programs and Initiatives 2009 2017 state gov Retrieved 2020 10 25 Programs and Initiatives www state gov Foreign Emergency Support Team FEST US Department of State Retrieved on May 8 2013 State Department OIG May 2020 State Department Office of Inspector General Inspection of the Bureau of Counterterrorism PDF U S Department of State Tactical Programs PHE www phe gov March 17 2017 Retrieved 2020 10 26 00 9001 Boeing C 32B United States US Air Force USAF Simon Reichert JetPhotos Retrieved 2020 10 26 a b Foreign Emergency Support Team FEST United States Department of State Retrieved 2021 06 05 Gomez Manu FEST C32B Flight Radar Twitter Retrieved 2020 10 26 Pio Jordan October 8 2020 C32B in Jordan Twitter Retrieved 2020 10 26 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Foreign Emergency Support Team FEST United States Department of State April 26 2021 Retrieved 2021 06 05 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Foreign Emergency Support Team amp oldid 1219001585, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
