By MC3 Brian H. Abel

Officers from the Alameda County Sheriff's Department prepare to conduct a boarding exercise at San Pablo Bay, Calif.., Sept. 13, part of Urban Shield 2015. Navy students enrolled in NPS' homeland security and defense curriculum were on site, offered the opportunity to observe the real-world scenarios first hand.

"When we signed up for the event we had no idea what we were getting into," said Lt. Jeffrey Miller. "They had about 35 to 37 scenarios in the Pleasanton and surrounding Oakland areas."

Miller said he was impressed by the realism of the scenarios, and the coordination that occurred between both U.S. and foreign law enforcement professionals at the event.

"They had SWAT teams from not only the U.S., but from all over the world," said Miller "The interoperability between the SWAT teams and seeing them learn from each other was great to watch."

The Alameda County Sherriff's Department's annual Urban Shield training exercise is designed to ensure local law enforcement agencies are prepared to respond to a domestic threat or terrorist attack. Urban Shield improves regional disaster response capabilities, while also providing a platform for national and international first responders, as well as the private sector, to work efficiently and effectively together when critical incidents occur.