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The Navy’s shore command says West Coast installations will take part in Exercise Citadel Rumble 2026 from Aug. 3 to 7, an annual, multi-hazard emergency-response drill intended to sharpen base-level readiness and continuity.
In the Pacific Northwest, Navy Region Northwest will run a scenario centered on a major volcanic eruption and heavy ash fall to measure how well it can sustain operations while supporting civil authorities. It will be the first time the region has trained to this particular hazard. Navy Region Southwest will stage a catastrophic-tsunami scenario across its six coastal installations and the Regional Operations Center to validate emergency-response policies and procedures.
“We must train like we fight, and that includes how we prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters ashore,” said Vice Adm. Scott Gray, Commander, Navy Installations Command. “Our installations are critical warfighting platforms, and their resilience is directly linked to fleet readiness. By training alongside our municipal and federal partners, we strengthen the coordinated response needed to protect our people, preserve mission capability and enhance readiness.”
According to the command, the exercise is designed to stress-test installation plans, procedures and interagency coordination while strengthening the Navy’s ability to safeguard personnel and preserve operational readiness.
The weeklong event will also activate mutual-aid agreements, bringing Navy emergency services together with municipal first responders to build familiarity with shared capabilities, procedures and communications for incidents that cross jurisdictional boundaries.
Residents on and near participating bases may see increased activity or hear emergency announcements during the exercise. Officials emphasized these are part of planned training and do not signal a real emergency.
Sailors, civilian employees and families are encouraged to review personal preparedness by assembling an emergency kit, creating a family plan and ensuring contact details are current in the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System at navyfamily.navy.mil. Additional resources are available at ready.navy.mil and ready.gov, and the Navy recommends downloading the NFAAS mobile app and setting up a manual login to stay connected during real-world incidents.
Commander, Navy Installations Command oversees 10 Navy regions and 71 installations worldwide and employs more than 48,600 people focused on sustaining shore infrastructure and quality-of-life programs that underpin fleet operations, the command said.
