Rhode Island National Guard strengthens emergency response through Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Integration training
JRSOI is the process of receiving incoming forces, preparing them for operations, moving them where they are needed and integrating them into an ongoing response. During the training, Soldiers and Airmen learned how to execute Rhode Island’s state-level JRSOI guidance by receiving incoming units, preparing them for operations and integrating them into an emergency response.
“With this training, the RING will be better equipped to develop the needed plans to be responsive to Rhode Island’s requirements and needs during times of uncertainty or emergency,” said U.S. Army Capt. Rondolf Moreno, domestic plans and operations instructor, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and USNORTHCOM.
Just months before the training, a historic blizzard demonstrated the need for that capability. In early 2026, a record-breaking 37.9 inches of snow fell across Rhode Island, leaving thousands without power, stranding residents in their homes and choking roads with snow that hindered emergency vehicles.
The Rhode Island National Guard was activated to help clear roads and sidewalks, reinforced by 24 Soldiers and 10 dump trucks from the Maine National Guard. Bringing those forces into Rhode Island, however, required more than moving personnel and equipment across state lines. They had to be received, organized and integrated into the response, the type of operation JRSOI is designed to facilitate.
While the blizzard demonstrated how JRSOI can support a familiar domestic emergency, the same process could prove critical during larger or more complex crises.
“What if we have a natural disaster coupled with a cyber threat?” Moreno said. “Or a cyber strike to our infrastructure? Rhode Island might need capabilities it doesn’t possess in sufficient quantity here and those forces could come from National Guard units anywhere in the country.”
During such an event, JRSOI would be critical to the RING’s ability to receive and integrate additional forces and capabilities. The faster those forces can be prepared and moved where they are needed, the sooner they can begin supporting response operations, protecting critical infrastructure and helping affected communities recover.
“During and after a disaster hits home, our communities and our regions have to get back to normalcy as fast as possible,” Moreno said. “The more prepared National Guard Joint Staffs and all their elements are, the better prepared we can come together as a community and nation to get back to a state of normalcy. Back to a point where we can maintain our defense and be prepared for whatever else may come our way.”
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