Nuclear drill puts national focus on Kings Bay

ST. MARYS - As many as 1,800 military and civilian personnel from across the nation will participate in a simulated nuclear weapon incident at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base beginning today.

While the majority of activity will be on base, residents living near Kings Bay will be affected by the drill. They can expect to see emergency vehicles, especially today, driving to a local hospital. Residents may also see smoke and hear loud noises coming from the base.

Capt. John O'Neill, commanding officer at Kings Bay, described the drill as a national-level exercise involving all branches of the military, the FBI, local public safety officials and medical personnel.

"We'll look at the initial response and coordination of all the agencies," O'Neill said.